A common parasite

As with many fish parasites, small numbers of Costia (or more correctly Ichthyobodo) are
not uncommon and appear not be detrimental to the fish's health. In small numbers these
parasites seem to live on cellular debris in a commensalistic relationship with their fish
host. Costia occasionally live on the skin and gills of healthy fish and it is believed that
the fish's defences keep the parasite population under control.
It becomes a serious threat when, for various reasons, the parasite becomes established in
large numbers. As with all parasite infestations, large numbers will affect fish health by
causing serious tissue damage to both skin and gills, as well as secondary effects such as
hyperplasia or secondary infections particularly of the gill.
They can reproduce at a phenomenal rate - under ideal conditions
!he main danger from Costia is the rate at which it can reproduce" #uickly taking
advantage of any shift in the balance of health. It is not unusual to see very sick fish
literally alive with parasites (see the fish disease movies). $owever, the #uestion that has
to be asked in such cases is% &is the fish sick because of the heavy parasite infestation,
or has it attracted parasites because it is sick?&. At higher temperatures the generation
doubling time can be as little as a few hours'
!hey do not reproduce se(ually, they simply divide into two, a reproductive process
called binary fission. !he conditions that encourage this type of e(plosive population
growth are those that we would e(pect" that is, stressed or sick fish, poor water #uality
and)or overcrowding. *nder such (ideal') conditions it reverts to a parasitic e(istence,
attacking living cells with disastrous conse#uences.
Identification
Costia infestations cause a typical irritation response from the fish. $eavy and laboured
'breathing' (+udged by watching operculum movements), flashing and rubbing, skin
cloudiness caused by e(cess mucus, focal redness, lethargy. At a later advanced stage
(which may be too late for treatment) fish often isolate themselves, sometimes near the
water surface or water return. !hey can also e(hibit e(treme lethargy with long spells
laying on the bottom with clamped fins. I should also point out that these clinical signs
are not e(clusive to parasite infestations and can be caused by several other factors
including adverse water #uality.,or an accurate diagnosis a skin scrape and a gill biopsy
should be taken as it is not unusual for the skin to be 'clean' yet the gills suffering from a
severe parasite infestation or vice versa, or indeed the two areas to be heavily coloni-ed
by two different parasite species'
*nder the microscope you will probably need .//( magnification to see these small
parasites, as they are only 0/ 1/ 2m long (02m 3 0)0/// millimetre). 4ecause they are
so small it sometimes helps to rack down the microscope condenser and add a little more
contrast. ,reeswimming Costia is identified by its characteristic flickering, caused as it
turns its crescentshaped body. It is a fast moving parasite, constantly moving in and out
of focus. Click on the Costia movie to see it live.
5hen attached to the skin or gill it assumes a pyriform shape and clusters of parasites can
sometimes be seen on the edge of gill epithelium in gill biopsies as seen in the
photomicrograph above. 6ne or two parasites per slide is not cause for concern. If
numbers are higher than this, treatment and a review of environmental conditions should
be the order of the day
Treatment
!reating mild to moderate outbreaks is fairly easy, usually re#uiring +ust one treatment.
7ost proprietary parasite treatments will work. 7y own preference is malachite and
formalin, provided that fish are not suffering from gill damage. 8rolonged immersion
with potassium permanganate is another option but again this is not advisable if gill
damage is suspected. 5hen gill damage is suspected salt offers the safest route as either a
bath treatment (1/ 19g)litre for 1/ :/ minutes) or as a longterm immersion at :
9g)litre.
In advanced and severe cases, resolution may be very difficult because of the numbers of
parasites involved, e(cess mucus and hyperplasia helping to protect the parasites from
chemical treatments and the poor health of the fish. In such circumstance tank treatments
with chloramine! and long term salt support is the best option with treatments being
repeated until the fish shows signs of improvement.