Water Gardening: Shusui talk .... Please help a rookie to understand ...., 1 by WNYwillieB

WNYwillieB wrote:
Linda:

Here's what I saw in regards to Lernea Elegans, or Anchor Worms .....

I noticed a red spot near the base of the dorsal fin of one of the goldfish. Small spot, kind of like an inflamed mosquito bite, or pimple. VERY SUBTLE until the infestation got well under way.

After the red spots appear, they gradually become more pulpy and meaty looking, as the anchor worms head (which embedded under the scale and into the body of the fish) creates the perfect spot for a bacterial or fungal infection.

It is usually the "after infection" that you see ... this is after the fungal or bacterial infection has set in, started inflamation and begin to digest the area.

The TELL TALE SIGN is the actual worm that hangs off the wound. I believe these are the females and are laying hundreds of eggs into the water.

The worm is VERY hard to see, but looks like a hair, at first. Once they mature and fatten up, there is no mistaking them.

Here is a picture of Token II's Anchor Worm Wound. His has healed completely and you would never know it was so meaty/pulpy in that spot, as you see in the picture I posted yesterday of Token.