My cleaner shrimp has a hitchhiker.....

[DaveR11]

I bought 2 small scarlet skunk cleaner shrimps Lysmata amboinensis and didn't notice that one of them had a strange lump on it until the next day.



I have done a bit of searching the net and I'm assuming this is a Bopyrid Isopod. There seem to be instructions out there on how to remove this parasite but my questions are:

• Has anyone tried this?
• How easy was it?
• Did it affect the host shrimp?
• Should I leave it on?

 

[frisbee]

Check this out.

HTH.

 

[DaveR11]

Check this out.

HTH.

Thanks for the link Frisbee. Going to need a magnifying glass to try that!

 

[blazend]

Wow crazy. Just make a small cut in the area of the isopod and use a tweezers to remove. Nice to know.

 

[Oxylebius]

So, what's the outcome here? Did you do a little operation to remove the isopod?

 

[DaveR11]

So, what's the outcome here? Did you do a little operation to remove the isopod?

Hi Oxy, I've not plucked up the courage yet to have a go. My eyesight is not what it was (I need to wear glasses to read now - age is catching up with me) and I should probably get one of those big model makers magnifying glasses on a flexible arm so that I can make the cut safely for the shrimp and me. Plus I'm a little apprehensive of the shrimp struggling and me breaking limbs off the poor thing. Still it will be easy to catch the little thing as it give me a manicure every time I put my hand in the tank.

I will let you all know if I have a go!