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Manual removal of the parasite is one of the surest ways to get rid of it; this can be done by holding the fish in the hand and removing the parasites with a pair of tweezers, being careful not to break the tail off leaving the head embedded and dipping the fish back into water every few seconds so it can breathe. Sometimes the parasite can ...
Parasites can provide information about host population ecology. In fisheries biology, for example, parasite communities can be used to distinguish distinct populations of the same fish species co-inhabiting a region. [9] Additionally, parasites possess a variety of specialized traits and life-history strategies that enable them to colonize hosts.
Ligula intestinalis is a tapeworm of fish, fish-eating birds and copepods, with species from each group featuring in its complex life cycle. [1] Ligula intestinalis is a parasite that changes its intermediate host's behavior to become more vulnerable to its predators.
The parasite can infect most freshwater fish species and, in contrast to many other parasites, shows low host specificity. It penetrates gill epithelia, skin and fins of the fish host and resides as a feeding stage (the trophont) inside the epidermis .
Females now measure about 20 mm long, but can grow up to 50 mm. [6] The oral end of the female copepod penetrates the body of the cod until it enters the rear bulb of the host's heart. There, firmly rooted in the cod's circulatory system, the front part of the parasite develops in the shape of antlers or branches on a tree, reaching into the ...
Eustrongylidosis is a parasitic disease that mainly affects wading birds worldwide; however, the parasite's complex, indirect lifecycle involves other species, such as aquatic worms and fish. Moreover, this disease is zoonotic , which means the parasite can transmit disease from animals to humans.
Unlike mammals, the red blood cells of fish have DNA, and can become infected with viruses. The fish develop pale gills, and may swim close to the water surface, gulping for air. However, the disease can also develop without the fish showing any external signs of illness, the fish maintain a normal appetite, and then they suddenly die.
Clinostomum marginatum is a yellow flatworm that can grow up to 6.4 millimetres (0.25 in) in the flesh of freshwater fish or the muscle of frogs. Distinguishing characteristics of this parasite in the "miracidium" stage are three eyespots located on the mid-dorsal line, posterior of lateral papillae.