Camallanus
| Common Names: | Camallanus |
| Salinity: | Freshwater |
| Description: | One to ten or more red nematodes (roundworms) are seen protruding from the fishes' anus. The fish appears to be losing weight and may have a diminished appetite. |
| Symptoms: | Spots Spots |
| Treatment: | Internal wormers are the only effective treatment against Camallanus, but it is not uncommon for aquarists to have little success with these medications. The best medications to treat Camallanus are metronidazole, praziquantel, acriflavine, and levamisole. These medications are found in a wide variety of aquarium internal parasite products. If the aquarium wormers do not work, livestock or avian wormers containing the same medications may be used with caution. The medication may need to be ingested by the fish to be effective. Soaking flake or frozen foods in diluted medications is the best way to achieve this, but some fish will not accept medicated food (presumably it is distasteful). Diluting the medications more may help. Fish that are so badly infected that they will not eat at all and are emaciated are best destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading to other occupants of the tank. |
| Comments: | The fish most often seen with this disease are livebearers and labyrinth fishes, although it is possible for almost any kind of freshwater fish to become infected. Fish are only one of several hosts in this worm's life cycle, though they can do without the intermediate hosts for a few generations (and be passed directly from one fish to another). Cyclops and Tubifex worms are thought to possibly carry Camallanus, so always get these live foods from respectable sources. Camallanus is especially prevalent in fishes farmed in Southeast Asia, where the disease is thought to have originated. |
| Image Credit: | Cory Addict |
| Submitted By: | Natalie |
| Contributors: | Natalie, Callatya |
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