Fish Parasite?

[silverbike]

A couple of years ago was fishing for leatherjackets around Palm Beach.

When I cleaned one there was this really big, ugly thing inside. It was outside the gut system of the fish, but inside the body cavity. It was almost 5cm long, oval, and an off-white colour. The body appeared to be overlapping plates. It had 6 or 8 small jointed legs, and its front legs ended in these big claw-things.

(Sorry cant post a pic, the jar got broken when I moved and was discarded by my new non-fishing partner)

Any ideas on what it may be?

[Gibbofisho]

Its called a 'doctor' mate, they are alway's in jackets, quite often in yakkas and the odd trevally, they are just a parasite that feed on whatever the fish is easting, they don't harm or affect the eating qualities at all.

here's one

[silverbike]

Thanks for that. Hadn't seen one before or since.

Ugly looking thing.....eeewww.

[Gibbofisho]

no worries, they're creepy looking buggers, catch a few yakkas and you'll get a couple creeping around the place!

[Sammy0884]

They send a shiver down my spine every time i see them, yuck!

[netic]

very ugly things, i have seen them a few tiems in yakkas

[namesay]

You find them in luderick as well. I also find a LOT of them in the stomachs of kings when they have been eating yakkas. Slimies have them as well ...found in a lot of fish without sharp teeth. SOmetimes you see on on the tail of fish as well. They are bloods suckers!!!Cheers KElvin

[Flattieman]

Hey guys, I answered the same question a while back, here:

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/inde...showtopic=13385

Flattieman.