Leather jackets( Parasites. Isopods)

[krause]

Finally caught some leather jackets today. Found two types but have no pics. Wondering if anyone can id them from a description. One was a standard lj shape but with a striking blue pattern across its top flank. The other was a very tall fish with a large extendable 'fan' under its belly.

Also found a huge parasite in one. Living in the poor buggers gut cavity! Ill link an image if I can...

Cheers

[Paikea]

We used to call the parasites in Yellowtail "the Doctor", I don't know where that came from but has any other Raider heard of them being called that?

Cheers

Paikea

[krause]

Here's the parasite. Scary bugger! Never seen one this big or inside a fish!!! It was about the size of a 50 cent coin

[Yowie]

Very hard to I.D. jackets without a photo, as there are dozens of different species. Need photos to I.D. fish in this section.

The first one may be a six spined leatherjacket, the second one is a fan tailed or fan bellied leatherjacket

[Blackfish]

I'm with Yowie.

Though ..... if's it not a 6 Spine the only other one I could think of is a Yellowfin Jacket.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Blackfish

[Linc]

Yep I'd say yowie got it right. And that parasite looks like a very obese sea lice, common in trevally and a few other species, pretty much harmless but very gross when they pop out in the sink at home.

[rockfisherman]

Here's the parasite. Scary bugger! Never seen one this big or inside a fish!!! It was about the size of a 50 cent coin

Leather jackets definetly carry the biggest parasites iv seen. Like you said, about the size if a 50c coin, half hanging out of a wound. I'm curious if they're the same ones you'd find in the mouth of some yakkas that are just really really fat, or they're their own species.

Harry

If it's to good to be true, it usually is...

[krause]

Impossible to id you say? Never! You guys were spot on. Yellowfin and fan belly jackets. See below.

And the parasite was definitely a new sight. Not in a surface wound though. Completely contained in the fish, not even the stomach! Rediculous really.

Cheers all

[Yowie]

Leather jackets definetly carry the biggest parasites iv seen. Like you said, about the size if a 50c coin, half hanging out of a wound. I'm curious if they're the same ones you'd find in the mouth of some yakkas that are just really really fat, or they're their own species.

Harry

If it's to good to be true, it usually is...

The ones inside yellowtail's mouths are a different species, as are the ones found on the fins of the occasional whiting, which are rather small. Also pulled out a couple of tailor with a large one on a side fin, and the fin is always damaged by the feeding of these parasites.

[rockfisherman]

 

The ones inside yellowtail's mouths are a different species, as are the ones found on the fins of the occasional whiting, which are rather small. Also pulled out a couple of tailor with a large one on a side fin, and the fin is always damaged by the feeding of these parasites.

Cheers, thanks for that.

Harry

If it's to good to be true, it usually is...

[Linc]

There's a few spots in Port Philip Bay down in melb where your bait doesn't last 5 mins in the water without being destroyed by sea louse, nasty things.

[Blackfish]

We used to call them "Doctors" when Blackfishing Paikea.

[SickWolf]

the parasites I call em doctors. if was lucky/unlucky enough to catch a yakka and a leatherjacket with parasites onto same day. compared them and they looked the same. I dunno what their paper name is tho