parasite ID

[cincyreefer]

Does anyone know what this parasite is, and have any links or info about it?
It is a translucent parasite that lives on any part of the body of a fish, but is seen the easiest on the eyes. It is rather large, possibly as big as 3 or 4 mm. They look like cloudy patches on the eyes of fish, and quickly falls off during a freshwater dip. After it falls off, it turns white. I can't get any good pictures of it yet, and it seems especially common on pomacanthus angels and butterflys. They don't seem to really affect the fish much, unless it goes a long time without notice. The biggest effect seems to be lack of an appetite, although they will still eat. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[beth]

Could it be a flatworm?

 

[cincyreefer]

It does look kinda like a flatworm, but can flatworms be parasitic on fish? They definitely have the ability to do some damage if they go unnoticed. The most visible damage is causing the eye to cloud and sometimes pop out.

 

[cincyreefer]

bump

 

[cincyreefer]

Yeah, I have been doing freshwater dips and they have been real effective, but I can't get any type of ID as to what parasite this is. Do you think hypo would still work on it or is that mainly only used for ick?

 

[beth]

Hypo is an ich treatment so its not going to work on this.
Try the formalin bathe. If you need help with the procedure, its listed in the FAQ. If that fails....last resort, go for the FW bath. Be very sure that the pH matches your tank water that the fish is kept in.