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Crustaceans
Many of these look nothing like the familiar crabs or shrimp; hence their "worm" and other common names.

Isopods, the "pill-bugs" or Rollie-pollies of your childhood are not so funny when they show up in your marine system. These crustaceans with "all about the same feet" are big enough to see and remove from the fish's mouth or body with forceps/tweezers.

Copepods: Copepods: looking more worm-like than anything; there are more than one thousand species of parasitic copepod crustaceans known. Some of them are very common and can be debilitating or lethal in large numbers. looking more worm-like than anything; there are more than one thousand species of parasitic copepod crustaceans known. Some of them are very common and can be debilitating or lethal in large numbers.

These copepods are specialized in their structure and feeding; some are internal with bizarre sac-like and tree-branching body shapes, External species range from forms with holdfasts that permanently wedge them into their host's integument to one's that range over the body surface with specialized cutting, puncturing and sucking mouth parts.

The copepods that can be treated (those on the outside of their hosts) are best eliminated through freshwater dips and copper treatment as the fishes pass through quarantine. Biological cleaning by certain shrimp, gobies and wrasses presumably aids in restricting copepod parasitism in the wild.

Worms

Phylum Platyhelminthes; flatworms (<-- very common), flukes, tapeworms.

Turbellarians, a group in the flatworm Phylum Platyhelminthes are mostly "free-living" non-parasitic species. One notable exception is Paravortex, the causative agent of "black spot disease", notably of yellow tangs. This is easily eliminated via freshwater dipping, though other authors suggest formalin baths and organophosphate remedies. Turbellarians, a group in the flatworm Phylum Platyhelminthes are mostly "free-living" non-parasitic species. One notable exception is Paravortex, the causative agent of "black spot disease", notably of yellow tangs. This is easily eliminated via freshwater dipping, though other authors suggest formalin baths and organophosphate remedies.

Trematodes, the flukes are divided into ecto-parasitic (external) monogenes and the largely endo-parasitic (internal) digenes on the basis of their life histories. Monogeneans have a direct life cycle, and digeneans an indirect one with the use of one or more intermediary host species. The monogenes are important as gill and body parasites of marine fishes.

There are many species of flukes, they are common on imported livestock, and may significantly reduce their health if not eliminated through acclimation techniques. Hiding, rapid breathing discoloration and more are symptomatic of infection/infestation, though microscopic examination of skin scrapings and gill clippings are required for positive diagnosis.

Several chemicals including organophosphates, copper, quinines and dips of freshwater with/out malachite/formalin have been described in the literature as being efficacious. Recent authors tout the use of Praziquantel (Droncit (R)) at 1ppm in a treatment system.

Digeneans rarely spread due to the absence of intermediaries, and many of the monogenes are species/group specific.

Cestodes: Cestodes are the tapeworms that live in digestive systems;

yes, fishes get them as well as farm animals and you and I. Typically an aquarist will only become aware of their presence through a section of a worm being expelled from the vent, or from post-mortem dissection.

Fishes are either imported with the tapes or pick them up from ingesting their intermediate hosts; in their food.

There are anti-worm chemicals that work on ridding fishes of intestinal parasites; you can check with local sources as to which is the "latest and greatest" available; but I wouldn't. The vast majority of incidents show that the cure is too late, or more deadly than the problem. Well maintained specimens have "successful" relationships with their internal parasites; they're not killed by them.

Roundworms, the Phylum Nematoda Roundworms, the Phylum Nematoda like the tapes, are rarely encountered unless detected protruding from a fish's vent or from cutting up a specimen after it has died. Many are microscopic, some macro- as parasites. Amongst all "worm" groups a nematode is easy to recognize by it's tri-radiate esophagus, otherwise they're typically smooth, white, and non-descript. like the tapes, are rarely encountered unless detected protruding from a fish's vent or from cutting up a specimen after it has died. Many are microscopic, some macro- as parasites. Amongst all "worm" groups a nematode is easy to recognize by it's tri-radiate esophagus, otherwise they're typically smooth, white, and non-descript.

With this worm group the best treatment is none at all; simply optimizing the environment reduces the likelihood of loss or debilitation from roundworms.

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Flatworms are very common, and any dark spots on the body cloudy spots in the eyes and you should contact us about treatment.