Bug/parasite (Doctor/Isopoda)

[The yabby]

Gday ppl, just curious about a bug/ parasite of some kind.

I was cleaning a nice drummer while cleaning 2 bugs dropped out of it, both where alive. I think they came out of the gill area.They were both white, one was a bit over an inch long the other a lot smaller. The larger was roughly half inch wide, from memory it had 6 maybe 8 legs, it's abdomen reminded me of a cicada. 

Went to get phone to take a pick but bloody seagulls snatched them off the rock.

Just wondering if anyone might have an idea what they might be.

Cheers.

[Jamie_S]

It's commonly called a "doctor" 

Google it and you will find lots of information and pictures. Basically it replaces the fishes tongue. Horrible parasites 

[Regan]

we one had three out of one luderick at woy woy

always wondered what they where

[The yabby]

Thanks Jamie, that's what they were.

[Squid Inc]

I hooked a travalley buy the parasite once. I thought it pulled the hook as I tried to lift it into the boat only to find the parrisite still on the hook. Thought I could dispatch it by hitting it against the boat only for it to explode into a million babies that took off as soon as they hit the water. 

[ARC H]

ahh thats what they are its i have seen them a couple of times

[Blackfish]

Not sure whats happened above but there is a Fishraider post on this but having trouble posting link.

Tomorrow.

OK I see now.

Just click on the 2007 Link and it take you back to post with a lot of info on the "Doctor"

Edited June 24, 2017 by Blackfish

[ARC H]

filthy buggers

[Wellzy94]

My Indonesian friend and a lot of people he knows call them Aliens. Freaky looking little buggers.

I've hooked a blackfish by the doctor too, dropped the fish and kept the parasite on the hook.

[Yowie]

Most yakkas have them inside their mouths. A few trevally as well.

Tailor and occasionally whiting will have these doctors on their pectoral fins, where they suck blood and cause a deformity to that fin.

[Aardvarking]

There is nothing I hate more than those little bastard parasites. There may be more, but I have found two kinds. The first lives on the tongue of most fast moving, smily fish. E.g. trevally, yakkas, tailor etc. The other type I have found burrow a whole into the side of leatherjackets. Whenever I catch a fish I always check for parasites, and remove them before letting the fish go. I have a special little container in my tackle box where I leave parasites to slowly dry out in the sun, so there's no risk of their eggs spreading.

[sam bros]

After removing the parasite, is the fish safe to eat or wouldnt risk it?

[Aardvarking]

3 hours ago, sam bros said:

After removing the parasite, is the fish safe to eat or wouldnt risk it?

Yeah, it's definitely safe to eat after the parasite has been removed. The parasites themselves probably wouldn't do you any harm if you ate them, but I wouldn't recommend testing out that theory.

[BIGG DADDA TREVS]

I have caught alot of fish with these parasites. the most common are the one in the yakkas and slimeys mouths. there is one other type that digs into the leatherjacket's bellys through the side. A month or so ago all the ones that i caught were full of eggs, some of them had already hatched and were all over the fish's gills. Poor little ****ers