Help! Parasite on my cleaner shrimp!

[Hockeypunk1]

I noticed the other day what looks to be some sort of parasite on the side of my cleaner shrimp! I got some pretty good close ups. I can't really tell but I'm guessing it's some sort of isopod or something around the gills. Has anyone seen anything like this? Is there anything that can be done to help my shrimp?

 

[Tahoe61]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/removing-bopyrid-isopod-from-skunk-cleaner-shrimp.1013696/

 

[vetteguy53081]

I noticed the other day what looks to be some sort of parasite on the side of my cleaner shrimp! I got some pretty good close ups. I can't really tell but I'm guessing it's some sort of isopod or something around the gills. Has anyone seen anything like this? Is there anything that can be done to help my shrimp?

Looks to be isopod and first ive seen this, PraziPro which is safe for shrimp may or may not cause this to abandon. It would fall off during molt but there is no time frame when molt would occur.

@Jay Hemdal

 

[Hockeypunk1]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/removing-bopyrid-isopod-from-skunk-cleaner-shrimp.1013696/

That's wild! Pretty sure this is exactly what I have on my hands! Looks like I have some surgery to attempt!

 

[Hockeypunk1]

Looks to be isopod and first ive seen this, PraziPro which is safe for shrimp may or may not cause this to abandon. It would fall off during molt but there is no time frame when molt would occur.

@Jay Hemdal

Thank you! Good to know that prazi is safe for shrimp! Looks like Tahoe61 found a video of someone removing this exact isopod from a shrimp. Looks to be living on the gills but can be removed fairly easily with some sort of small hook.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you! Good to know that prazi is safe for shrimp! Looks like Tahoe61 found a video of someone removing this exact isopod from a shrimp. Looks to be living on the gills but can be removed fairly easily with some sort of small hook.

It kills featherdusters and other worms, and if using dose at 85% of the recommended application

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thank you! Good to know that prazi is safe for shrimp! Looks like Tahoe61 found a video of someone removing this exact isopod from a shrimp. Looks to be living on the gills but can be removed fairly easily with some sort of small hook.

Just an FYI - praziquantel does NOT kill isopods.

I see those posts about doing surgery to remove these, I've always found that the long-term success for doing that is pretty limited.

Some species of shrimp (notably the skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata sp.) arrive with epicaridean isopod infections that look like white lumps on the side of the shrimp’s abdomen. Since the isopod is a crustacean itself, there is no treatment that will affect the parasite without killing the shrimp. Surgical removal is also not advised because crustaceans can only repair damage to their shells when they molt, so when the isopod is removed, a large wound will remain.

 

[Hockeypunk1]

Just an FYI - praziquantel does NOT kill isopods.

I see those posts about doing surgery to remove these, I've always found that the long-term success for doing that is pretty limited.

Some species of shrimp (notably the skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata sp.) arrive with epicaridean isopod infections that look like white lumps on the side of the shrimp’s abdomen. Since the isopod is a crustacean itself, there is no treatment that will affect the parasite without killing the shrimp. Surgical removal is also not advised because crustaceans can only repair damage to their shells when they molt, so when the isopod is removed, a large wound will remain.

Interesting is there anything else you can think of to remove the parasite? My understanding from the video is that to remove it you kinda go under the flap of the exoskeleton and pull the creature out. I feel like either way the shrimp is on borrowed time and at least with removal there is a chance of healing.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Interesting is there anything else you can think of to remove the parasite? My understanding from the video is that to remove it you kinda go under the flap of the exoskeleton and pull the creature out. I feel like either way the shrimp is on borrowed time and at least with removal there is a chance of healing.

Isopod parasites do not set out to be fatal to their host, if their hosts dies, so do they. In some cases though, the parasite takes too much energy away from the host and it dies. For example, there is a gill isopod seen in fish. Normally, the fish live with it o.k., but if a second isopod happens to infect the other gill, it becomes fatal to the fish.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[Hockeypunk1]

Isopod parasites do not set out to be fatal to their host, if their hosts dies, so do they. In some cases though, the parasite takes too much energy away from the host and it dies. For example, there is a gill isopod seen in fish. Normally, the fish live with it o.k., but if a second isopod happens to infect the other gill, it becomes fatal to the fish.

Let us know how it turns out!

That's kind of what I had assumed about not killing their host. Someone said they can release eggs, assuming this is the only one in my system I don't know the likelihood of that happening unless they can reproduce asexually. The other question I had is whether or not this isopod will only attach to shrimp or can they also attach to fish? Thank you for your expertise! I will certainly keep you updated!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That's kind of what I had assumed about not killing their host. Someone said they can release eggs, assuming this is the only one in my system I don't know the likelihood of that happening unless they can reproduce asexually. The other question I had is whether or not this isopod will only attach to shrimp or can they also attach to fish? Thank you for your expertise! I will certainly keep you updated!

There are isopods that are fish parasites, but they are a different species. As far as I know, isopods require males and females to reproduce, but maybe there are some that can replicate asexually?

 

[Hockeypunk1]

There are isopods that are fish parasites, but they are a different species. As far as I know, isopods require males and females to reproduce, but maybe there are some that can replicate asexually?

That's what I thought as well! Thank you!

 

[00pflint]

That's what I thought as well! Thank you!

Did you leave it on the shrimp or remove it? How is the shrimp doing? I just bought a skunk cleaner shrimp and it appears to have one and I'm getting mixed info about it's danger