Steve White
01-11-2007, 10:20 AM
Morning folks,
Just wanted to get some info out before heading out onto the water.
There has been some discussion about black spots on area fish. I have also gotten several e-mails on this as well. Not knowing the big scoop on it, set out to find all the info on it. So here it is.
After talking to our area fish supervisor and doing some net searching found out some interesting stuff.
The black spots are called Neascus. They are a type of tapeworm found in all fish world wide. Infection cycles can come and go in lakes. The black spots are a result of white blood cells migrating to the area of infection encapsulating the parasite. The cycle consists of snails, fish , and fisheating birds mostly the blue heron. The heron eats the fish were the parasites hatch their eggs within the intestines and are defecated into the water. They then seek out snails were they mature and enter the water attaching to fish completing the cycle. As we have said, these are not infectious to humans. Even if we were to eat the fish raw they cannot infect humans. proper cooking of the meat destroys them completely. This is also the case for the little white parasite that is sometimes found in the meat.
What we can see is what tends to gross us out, and makes us think the fish are bad to eat. It is actually the stuff we cannot see that can, and will harm us if consumed the wrong way. Kinda of like the way eating old sushi makes us sick.
You can do a search on neasucs to find out more than you care to. Here are a few links that will get you started.
http://www.snakerivercutthroats.com/newsletter.1006.htm - scroll down to the teton river black spotted cuts
http://www.mass.gov/czm/wpfshlth.htm - scroll down to the short paragraph starting with neascus.
We are all now a little more educated, and can fish our lakes without these concerns.
Well, it's almost time to hit the hardpack.
Tight lines,
Steve
Just wanted to get some info out before heading out onto the water.
There has been some discussion about black spots on area fish. I have also gotten several e-mails on this as well. Not knowing the big scoop on it, set out to find all the info on it. So here it is.
After talking to our area fish supervisor and doing some net searching found out some interesting stuff.
The black spots are called Neascus. They are a type of tapeworm found in all fish world wide. Infection cycles can come and go in lakes. The black spots are a result of white blood cells migrating to the area of infection encapsulating the parasite. The cycle consists of snails, fish , and fisheating birds mostly the blue heron. The heron eats the fish were the parasites hatch their eggs within the intestines and are defecated into the water. They then seek out snails were they mature and enter the water attaching to fish completing the cycle. As we have said, these are not infectious to humans. Even if we were to eat the fish raw they cannot infect humans. proper cooking of the meat destroys them completely. This is also the case for the little white parasite that is sometimes found in the meat.
What we can see is what tends to gross us out, and makes us think the fish are bad to eat. It is actually the stuff we cannot see that can, and will harm us if consumed the wrong way. Kinda of like the way eating old sushi makes us sick.
You can do a search on neasucs to find out more than you care to. Here are a few links that will get you started.
http://www.snakerivercutthroats.com/newsletter.1006.htm - scroll down to the teton river black spotted cuts
http://www.mass.gov/czm/wpfshlth.htm - scroll down to the short paragraph starting with neascus.
We are all now a little more educated, and can fish our lakes without these concerns.
Well, it's almost time to hit the hardpack.
Tight lines,
Steve