# crustacean parasite on bluefish gills



## awwright (Dec 7, 2005)

i caught a bunch of blues of ovp & noticed that almost all of them had at least one 1/2" long parasite attached to the gills. wondering if anybody knows the name of this parasite??


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

i dunno teh name , but i think i know what your talking about...ive seen em from 1/4" to 1" mostly on silver perch and spot in west point...look kinda like translucent sandfleas


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## KICKNBASS (Jan 18, 2006)

*Parasites*

They are common on blues all up and down the coast. We fget them in N.Y. in the late summer and throughout the fall. They don't seem to bother the fish at all. In fact I have seen some blues with multiple gill parasites.


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## awwright (Dec 7, 2005)

thanks, dudes. i've been doing some internet searching to see if i can identify this thing. they look like they might be good spot and croaker bait! 

need one of those VIMS folks to help me out on this one!


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## RACN35 (Oct 17, 2004)

are these the same ones found in menhaden mouths ?


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## RACN35 (Oct 17, 2004)

i cant get a good pic of them w/ my cheap camera tho........


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## awwright (Dec 7, 2005)

that thing in front of fishes' mouth - i think that's what the blues had too... light colored, sand flea looking thing.


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

sea lice

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/infocus/2005/20051011b/info_e.htm


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## RACN35 (Oct 17, 2004)

nope - not sea lice, water is too warm, these critters are in menhaden all summer long- kinda like white rolly poly bugs -


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## awwright (Dec 7, 2005)

I believe I've seen those sea lice before; the things me & RACN35 saw are big, like he said, roly poly looking things. 

Anybody out there from VIMS? Digger seems like a guy that might know the name of this beast.


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## fishguts (Jun 23, 2006)

Definately not sea lice, too big. Sea lice are less than half the size of a pencil eraser. I know, I had them swarming my crotch while surfing about a month ago.


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## StephenVa (Nov 11, 2005)

Sounds like you're talking about isopods. Also called marine pills bugs.


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## awwright (Dec 7, 2005)

StephenVA, isopods sound about right!

I live in Louisa, just over the Orange line - too far from the saltwater for me!!


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## StephenVa (Nov 11, 2005)

awwright said:


> StephenVA, isopods sound about right!
> 
> I live in Louisa, just over the Orange line - too far from the saltwater for me!!


I'm kinda a nerd about things like that. lol  

I know what you mean awwright. The only saltwater I've been near this year is the saltwater I mix up myself to put in my reef aquariums. I wonder how much instant ocean it'd take to convert lake anna? lol


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## awwright (Dec 7, 2005)

hopefully i'll see some isopods next week - headed to rodanthe for some surf action (finally).


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