Poor Little Tacker

[crazywalrus]

We tried to fish in the wind today in the Manly harbor but OMG it was windy. We caught this little tacker on bread and it had 6 of these things on its tail. Someone said it was lice. Never seen them myself - Removed them and he swam away happier.

[fishingnut]

some sort of parasite, cant remember the name but from what i do recall they will end up taking over the blood supply and killing the fish, have pulled afew off small bream before.

[Angus]

Its amazing these things can find a purchase on a bream. I mean its not like a tick where an animal or whatever is under a tree and it just drops on...

Oh well. Its just natural I guess.

Angus

[Joel Eadie]

if anyone is interested they are isopod crustaceans, they call them 'Doctors'.

they are pretty common in bream around the brisbane river, i reckon they are pretty gross

i wonder if you could stick one on a hook for bait

[crazywalrus]

Joel Eadie wrote:

if anyone is interested they are isopod crustaceans, they call them 'Doctors'.

they are pretty common in bream around the brisbane river, i reckon they are pretty gross

i wonder if you could stick one on a hook for bait

Thanks Joel - So if they are called "Doctors" do they hurt the fish?

[RyanG45]

i caught a little squire at redland bay that had two on its tail just pulled them off and the fish was ok and swam of fine

cheers ryan

[Joel Eadie]

crazywalrus wrote:

Joel Eadie wrote:

if anyone is interested they are isopod crustaceans, they call them 'Doctors'.

they are pretty common in bream around the brisbane river, i reckon they are pretty gross

i wonder if you could stick one on a hook for bait

Thanks Joel - So if they are called "Doctors" do they hurt the fish?

i couldnt really tell you though FN said it will eventually kill them.

it would be interesting if the guys who tagged bream mentioned the parasites on them. the reproduction rate and the growth of the doctors could be measured, and how the growth of the fish was affected

[fishingnut]

I believe it migrates around the fish into the mouth and eventually ends up eating what ever the fish eats and the host dying from lack of nutrients? not 100 percent tho

[yoyo]

Doctors are a blood-feeding parasite. Being that they do not have a symbiotic relationship with their host, it's possible that their constant presence on an animal that is not feeding well could result in that animal becoming malnourished and sick/die.

In much the same way as a Tick operates on dry land, the Doctor wil take what it wants from the host and then likely drop off and/or die. Going off an old memory...i cant remember what their lifespan is ...

[crazywalrus]

From what I can read they are not lethal, some in Europe actually replace the fishes tongue but the fish can still survive. Really strange and gross looking animal.

NSW article

[fishingnut]

crazywalrus wrote:

From what I can read they are not lethal, some in Europe actually replace the fishes tongue but the fish can still survive. Really strange and gross looking animal.

NSW article

Thats the one Im thinking of..... dunno if its on the money tho

[crazywalrus]

looks pretty much like the ones I pulled off apart from the coloration. They really are horrible things. The funny thing is I can stop itching since I saw them. This is the link to the Europe one

tongue eater

[Mr FeLiX]

Used to find them on snapper and slimies back down home, especially around the harbours and headlands. I don't imagine they could seriously do harm to these fish, unless they were coated in them?

[Mr FeLiX]

Used to find them on snapper and slimies back down home, especially around the harbours and headlands. I don't imagine they could seriously do harm to these fish, unless they were coated in them?

[Cowfish13]

I've found them to be far more common on Tarwhine than any other species. Particularly around the Jumpinpin region. Worst case I've encountered was 13 on a Tarwhine only about 18cm long.

[dassa]

We use get them every now and then on bream down on the south coast of nsw but we use to get them a lot on black fish from time to time and everyone caled them doctors

cheers dassa