# Strange parasites on bullhead



## Firemedic81 (May 28, 2013)

Caught this guy tonight and I'm pretty curious if you all know what these parasites, or whatever they are on this cat? They seem to be around base of fins or on fins/spines. Mouth was clear for any of them.


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## shot1buck (Feb 23, 2011)

Could be *Lymphocystis
A common virus that has been catalogued in 125 species of fish, lymphocystis can be identified by the development of pebble- or wart-like nodules on the fins, skin, or gills. The growths are usually off-white or gray in color, but can be different colors.*




but I’m just guessing. I probably wouldn’t eat it that for sure


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm thinking it just has a worse than normal case of common yellow grubs.


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## Firemedic81 (May 28, 2013)

Both replies are plausible. Been researching both. Regarding the yellow grub we did notice lots of snails last year in the lake and they are part of that lifecycle. Definitely an ugly fish that's for sure. He fought good and didn't seem to be affected by them


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

It's ich, Ich is short for _Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Catfish are pretty vulnerable to it and this is the adult stage_









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## Firemedic81 (May 28, 2013)

It's odd that it seems to be mostly at the joints of the fins.


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## troutmcallister (Jan 3, 2022)

Definitely not rich at all been breeding fish for 20 years and looks nothing l ik ed ich


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## troutmcallister (Jan 3, 2022)

Ich


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

troutmcallister said:


> Definitely not rich at all been breeding fish for 20 years and looks nothing l ik ed ich


I agree, it sure isn't ich...dealt with it many times.


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## Firemedic81 (May 28, 2013)

troutmcallister said:


> Ich


Ich seems to be a more all over issue and doesn't look right. It does look a lot like the grub issue maybe but idk for sure.


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

Definitely looks like yellow grub to me. Totally normal parasite and it's pretty common to see a few on fish in areas with lots of weeds and snails, but that looks like a particularly bad infestation.


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## Firemedic81 (May 28, 2013)

I agree it looks most like the yellow grub. It was especially bad on that one. It was the only bullhead we caught so no others for comparison


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

Well, this is where pictures make ID difficult. To be sure I'd need to do a full pathology on the fish and examine it more closely. Adult Ich in catfish can look yellowish if it's been a long term chronic infection. I could tell you in a heartbeat with a biopsy of the skin or gills and a wet mounted slide. There should be some juvenile ich on the gills that the classic horseshoe would be visible in. With that said, yes it could be yellow grub as well, but those would also be subcutaneous and visible within the muscular tissues as well. So, like I said a picture may be worth a thousand words, but it ain't as good as a full clinical exam. I will concede the two probable diagnosis are yellow grub and Ich, My first impression was ich, but I agree it could be yellow grub. 

Whatever, it's a fish with a serious health issue, but probably not fatal. 

Just offering what I thought was an informed opinion, after all my credentials are suspect. I only have 30 plus years in fishery management, culture and pathology. So I bow to the more learned.


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