Yellow tang issue

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What the heck is this on my yellow tang?

Some sort of parasite?

 

[bluemon]

Oh man, kinda looks like a cirolanid isopod parasite hitching a ride?

Haven’t seen one so yellow. Maybe because it’s been munching on a yellow tang?

I’m sure the #fishmedic team will know better

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Looks like this one.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cirolanid-isopod-help.827635/
@Jay Hemdal

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It seems to have just come off. Probably ready to lay a million eggs. :(

 

[Miami Reef]

All your fish were either pre quarantined from Dr. Reef or purchased captive bred from Biota, right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All your fish were either pre quarantined from Dr. Reef or purchased captive bred from Biota, right?

Yes, but the thread above suggests ocean rock can bring them.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes, but the thread above suggests ocean rock can bring them.

I've never seen a bright yellow one before! Yes, they hitchhike in on live rock direct from the ocean, with uncured Gulf of Mexico rock being the most common source. These tend to die out over time. If they even reproduce in aquariums, there seems to be something that harvests them faster than they can reproduce. There are ways to trap them though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've never seen a bright yellow one before! Yes, they hitchhike in on live rock direct from the ocean, with uncured Gulf of Mexico rock being the most common source. These tend to die out over time. If they even reproduce in aquariums, there seems to be something that harvests them faster than they can reproduce. There are ways to trap them though.

I’m all for predators eating them. Maybe the mantis will get them. lol

Any links to trap ideas?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’m all for predators eating them. Maybe the mantis will get them. lol

Any links to trap ideas?

The ones I've seen are simple - like a 16 oz soda bottle, with the neck cut off and turned around and glued into the base to make a funnel trap. These need to be weighted down. Bait them and deploy at night and retrieve them in the morning before lights on. Amazon has a weird little device - try searching on: "MiOYOOW Aquarium Planaria Catcher" I wonder if that would work?

 

[Miami Reef]

Yes, but the thread above suggests ocean rock can bring them.

Right.

What I’m going at is that these guys aren’t obligate fish parasites, which IMO means they normally don’t cause issues — they prefer other food sources, just like bristleworms, for example.

Personally, I think this is incredibly rare and might honestly just be a freak accident. I’d be surprised if it happened again.

Wrasses, especially sixlines, and going to be incredible hunters, but they are aggressive and can outcompete mandarins; I’d hold off on them for now.

Good luck. This is just my opinion and educated guess.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, they have presumably both been in the tank for a few weeks, and this is the first sight of it, so maybe it won’t happen again.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks, Jay

 

[KrisReef]

Can you see any damage where the isopod latched on?

A picture of any damage would be interesting, if there is visible injury.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There’s a small mark if you look close:

 

[OrionN]

Randy
That is rough. Hopefully you just have one and it will not be able to reproduce in your tank.
Does not seem to cause any problem but I would imagine I don’t want a chihuahua hanging on my back sucking blood out of me, even if he let go after a week.

 

[LiquidSpace]

I got one of these from TBS and was somehow about to catch the tiny Harptail Blenny it was on and remove it. Per TBS, they do not reproduce in our aquariums. This is likely a one off.

https://tbsaltwater.com/blogs/reef-not-safe/isopod-cirolanid

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks. No more sign of it. I’m hoping it has become mantis food. lol