is this a parasite? pls help id

[mrlimpet]

hi folks. i haven't posted in quite a while but i remember i learned much the first time around.

i've been breeding a raising ancistrus sp3 for some time now and managed to get some fairly close pics of wigglers with the eggsac still attached. i was astonished to find a crab-like creature on the head of one when i examined the pics more closely. i never noticed it with the naked eye.

any thoughts on the identity of this hitchhker? is it beneficial or parasitic?

[Barbie]

Do a search for fish lice. Poor little doods . Treatment isn't too terribly hard on the fish if you use dimilin, but dimilin can be VERY hard on you, so be very careful with it.

Barbie

[mrlimpet]

thanks for the quick response.

i guess i was thrown off by the size of the parasite. all the research indicates that fish lice/argulus are the largest parasites, easily visible to the naked eye. i never would have noticed this one without the macro closeup photo. the parasite is about the same size as the host's eye which is about the size of a period. the wiggler itself is about the size of two OO's.

i will research dimlin. thanks again.

[Barbie]

Mature fish lice are larger. Check the stomachs of your adult fish. Dimilin works on the lice's ability to make chitin and takes a few days to kill them, IMO, but works well.

Barbie