Lernaea,or more commonly known as Anchor Worms

     Keeping our finned friends happy and healthy has to be one of the hardest parts of our hobby.  There are so many different ways our fish can get sick, In this article the focus is going on Lernaea or more commonly known as Anchor Worms.

     As you can see from the picture on the left it is obvious how they got their name. The head is shaped like an anchor and the tail resembles a worm.

     The name though is a little on the misleading side, as Lernaea are actually a copepod crustacean. With that being the case Anchor worms are not something that will just appear in your tank, they have to be introduced from an outside source coming in on another fish or even dirty water.

"Anchor Worms can be seen easily with the naked eye"
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Clapper

      Lernaea hatch as free swimming larvae after hatching and females will burrow themselves into a fish. As they grow the anchor portion attaches to the muscles in the fish, they can live inside the fish for quite awhile before they begin to make their way out of the fish. During this stage is when your fish are at most risk. The Lernaea will not actually kill the fish, it is the open wounds that pose the most risk, these open wounds will invite other infections and diseases.

Symptoms

• Anchor worms (lernaea) can be seen with the naked eye, they look like little worms coming off the fish.

• Rubbing or "flashing" frequently.*

•  Any signs of inflammation or areas of redness on the body of the fish.*

• Small white, green, or reddish colored worms in wounds.

• Breathing difficulties or lethargic behavior.*

      *These behaviors and symptoms may be indicative of problems other than Anchor Worms.

What to do?

     There are a few options to choose from when you are treating for Anchor Worms.

• Manual removal

          One of the surest ways of removing them is to gently hold your fish, use a pair of tweezers to grab the Anchor worm being careful not to break the tail segment and leave the head embedded in the fish. Dipping a cotton swab in a solution of Potassium Permanganate and rubbing it over the Anchor Worm will cause it to release it's grip on the muscle tissues. While doing this you should dunk the fish in the water every few seconds so it can breathe. You can also put your fish to sleep during this to eliminate any pain or discomfort the fish may feel using an anesthetic.

• Medication/chemical treatments

          Potassium Permanganate can be used two ways as a whole tank treatment, or a dip. Treating the whole tank can get a bit messy and will color the water. But this method does ensure no other fish are affected and they don't return from a fish that was not showing signs of being affected. To treat the entire tank add 2mg Potassium Permanganate for every litre of aquarium water, or 7mg for every U.S. gallon. 

          Using it as a dip 100mg for every 2.5 U.S. gallons, allow the fish to sit in this dip no more than 30 minutes. As with any dip watch your fish carefully if you notice anything that doesn't seem right get your fish back in clean water immediately!

After treatment

        After treating and removing careful observation of the fish should be taken, The wounds from anchor worms can become infected. Adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt to your tank could help to prevent infections from open wounds. Dosing your tank with some stress coat would also help with a speedy recovery.

I hope this article was helpful, please feel free to share it with anyone who may find it useful. 

If you have any comments or questions please feel free to leave a comment below. 

Thank you for reading.