Or Argulus japonicus. I was at my Pet Supermarket the other day and talking to the assistant manager at the counter, when I saw a small clear plastic container with these little things swimming around in it. I thought that maybe they were breeding brine shrimp or something so I asked what they were. She told me that a lady had come in with some of her fish - she had some orandas that were infested - totally freaked out and not knowing what to do. So they removed all the little buggers from her fish. She said that one poor guy had about 30 on his body! Oh yuck, they were SO gross. There were about 100 of them, and she wanted to keep them in the container to see how long they could last without a host. I am SO glad I've never found any of those little monsters on my fish. *knock on wood*

Yeah - I plucked a couple off my Mum's Goldfish once. But I can't remember if I lifted them with a scalpel, or burnt them off with an extinguished match.

You should go back to the shop and get a couple of good pics to post.

Apparently, they can go for two weeks without a host.

Bleah! She told me that they're usually found on goldfish. When I kept orandas, I used to pray that I'd never end up with those things, because I wouldn't know how to get them off without being afraid I'd hurt the fish.

I'm going there on Thursday to see if they got my fish in. They let me special-order some loaches and Siamese algae eaters, since I buy fish from them a lot! I'll take my camera in case they're still there. And let me tell you, the water they were in STUNK! I don't know if it was from the customer's aquarium, but I've never smelled tank water that bad before. It was nauseating.

I think the critical elements are, to have a nicely soaked hand towel (Terry Towelling), in which to lay the fish, and cover the gills. And ensure you have really damp hands, keeping a finger bowl nearby.

And work as quick and as safely as you can, to get the fish back in the tank.

If your Pet Store can safely pull 30 off one fish, it'd be worth asking what's their method?

That's good info, I wouldn't have thought to use a towel. I just would have panicked.

Yeah, I'll ask her Thursday when I go back. It's good to know.