Yellow Tail bugs

[wavster]

Has anyone seen these things attached to the skin of their fish? Does anyone know
what they are? They are white and flat. They didn't appear to move.

I surveyed the meat and it looked fine.

[madscientist]

Most YT have them. Just some surface parasite. Crunchy.

[nmbrinkman]

Sea lice? I know when I fished in Oregon, when the salmon and steelhead would make their way up river from the ocean, they would have a handful individual sea lice on them..

[Siebler]

Yeah sea lice. They are kinda pinkish. Yellows have them a lot. Also they will hang out in the mouths of sandies and such.

[madscientist]

If you happen to put your fish in a cooler, make sure you rinse out all those lice as well when you are done. They can be a pain because they really stick. I had a cooler full of cod whose mouthes were loaded with them and I got tired trying to wash them out of the cooler at the end of the trip. Dead rotten lice smell right up there with dead squid.

[lamb]

The circle of life...

Those surface ones are easy, just scrape them off…

Worms scare me. I’ve seen summer YTs who have them… A lil’ black rope hanging straight out of the flash…

Anisakis simplex, those tiny curly worms that halibut often have are the ugliest.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisakis

I don’t know anyone who has caught more than a few halibut who likes to talk about it.

Safe handling procedure when it comes to fish parasites – thoroughly cook your fish. The safest – freeze it before eating.

If eating raw… Open up your eyes.

[wavster]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I was getting a bit freaked out thinking of what
they might be or how they'd affect my innerds...

[madscientist]

Originally Posted by wavster

Thanks for the responses everyone. I was getting a bit freaked out thinking of what
they might be or how they'd affect my innerds...

Don't worry unless your ass starts to itch.