TREATING FLUKE

Trematodes or flukes are a huge problem to koi breeders, hobbyists, and dealers. They are microscopic and the only way to diagnose them are through skin and gill scrapes and the use of a good microscope. There are two types of flukes (in the US): Gill flukes in the genera Dactylogyrus and the skin fluke which is in the genera Gyrodactylus. They can be differentiated under the microscope by the detection of eye spots, which is associated with the gill fluke (egg layer). With Gyrodactylus there is only an embryo inside (live bearer) with no eye spots.