15 MICROSCOPY – Flukes

   2020-04-02  Posted in Microscopy

15) MICROSCOPY – The Flukes

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There are gill and body flukes. Flukes that lay eggs and flukes that have live young. Flukes that have eye spots and flukes that do not. One fluke type is Gyrodactylus, and the other is Dactylogyrus. Clear as mud?

“STRETCHY WORMS”.

 

Learning The Flukes 

Gill Fluke

Body Fluke

Has Eyes

Has NO Eyes

Lays Eggs

Live Young

Called: Dactylogyrus

Called: Gyrodactylus

Lives on the body and gills just fine.

Lives on the body and gills just fine.

The only RELEVANT point to knowing the difference is because EGGS can sustain an infestation by eluding your treatment. In other words, you're blasting the adults and swimmers, but the eggs are safe. For the most part. Some say that potassium permanganate can even kills eggs but I highly doubt it. 
So I treat ALL fluke infestations as if they're egg-layers and make sure to treat in 3-4 days after the last treatment in 78 degree water, or up to 7 days after the last dose in water under 70 DF.  That last treatment is intended to kill any flukes that hatched since the last treatment but BEFORE they can lay eggs again. 
Great treatments for Flukes are numerous. In systems up to maybe a thousand gallons my favorite is PraziPro because Hikari "nailed it" with that formulation. 

Author: Dr. Erik Johnson
Dr Erik Johnson is a Marietta, Georgia Veterinarian with a practice in small animal medicine. He graduated from University of Georgia with his Doctorate in 1991. Dr Johnson is the author of several texts on Koi and Pond Fish Health and Disease as well as numerous articles on dog and cat health topics.