07-30-2008, 06:31 PM
From KSL.com...
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- A fishing derby for kids had to be canceled at Highland Glen Park because a parasite had already killed many of the fish. The parasite known as ich -- short for ichthyophthirius multifiliis -- is a fast-moving, fast-killing ailment commonly associated with fish in aquariums. Chris Penne, who monitors community fishing ponds throughout the state for the Division of Wildlife Resources, could only speculate on how it got to Highland Glen Park. "It could have been a wild fish or someone might have dumped their fish from an aquarium in it," he said. "We know it was not from the fish we stocked in the spring because they are monitored very closely." The parasite causes "white spot disease," attacking the outer skin of the fish so it can't get enough oxygen. "It is like they are sprinkled with salt," Penne said. The parasite does well in warmer waters and can quickly wipe out a population. "The only way to get rid of it is to let it run its course," Penne said. "Its average life span is three or four days. Right now the pond is the ideal temperature for the fungus to thrive, from 65 to 70 degrees. When the water cools off it will go away." Though the parasite is lethal to fish, it isn't harmful to people who eat them. Signs have been posted at the pond about the parasite. The DWR usually stocks the Highland Glen pond several times a year with trout in cold months and catfish in warmer weather. The pond wasn't stocked this summer because any new fish would have been susceptible to the parasite. The pond will be stocked again next year.
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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- A fishing derby for kids had to be canceled at Highland Glen Park because a parasite had already killed many of the fish. The parasite known as ich -- short for ichthyophthirius multifiliis -- is a fast-moving, fast-killing ailment commonly associated with fish in aquariums. Chris Penne, who monitors community fishing ponds throughout the state for the Division of Wildlife Resources, could only speculate on how it got to Highland Glen Park. "It could have been a wild fish or someone might have dumped their fish from an aquarium in it," he said. "We know it was not from the fish we stocked in the spring because they are monitored very closely." The parasite causes "white spot disease," attacking the outer skin of the fish so it can't get enough oxygen. "It is like they are sprinkled with salt," Penne said. The parasite does well in warmer waters and can quickly wipe out a population. "The only way to get rid of it is to let it run its course," Penne said. "Its average life span is three or four days. Right now the pond is the ideal temperature for the fungus to thrive, from 65 to 70 degrees. When the water cools off it will go away." Though the parasite is lethal to fish, it isn't harmful to people who eat them. Signs have been posted at the pond about the parasite. The DWR usually stocks the Highland Glen pond several times a year with trout in cold months and catfish in warmer weather. The pond wasn't stocked this summer because any new fish would have been susceptible to the parasite. The pond will be stocked again next year.
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