What are sea lice?
Sea lice are small, salt-water crustaceans with soft bodies, which are ordinarily enclosed within a hard, protective outer shell. Sea lice have a rounded body shaped like a cylinder and have many legs for swimming and collecting food. The term “sea lice” actually refers to several species of copepods that infect fish. Sea lice attach to the outside of fish, either on skin, fins, or gills where they live and feed on the mucous layer secreted by the fish’s skin.
Sea lice are small, salt-water crustaceans with soft bodies which are ordinarily enclosed within a hard, protective outer shell. Sea lice have a rounded body shaped like a cylinder and have many legs for swimming and collecting food. The term sea lice actually refers to several species of copepods that infect fish. Sea lice attach to the outside of fish, either on skin, fins, or gills where they live and feed on the mucous layer secreted by the fish’s skin.
Sea lice are small, salt-water crustaceans with soft bodies, which are ordinarily enclosed within a hard, protective outer shell. Sea lice have a rounded body shaped like a cylinder and have many legs for swimming and collecting food. The term “sea lice” actually refers to several species of copepods that infect fish. Sea lice attach to the outside of fish, either on skin, fins, or gills where they live and feed on the mucous layer secreted by the fishs skin.
Crustaceans parasites belonging to the copepoda in the family Caligidae. Lepeophtheirus salmonis (salmon louse) and Caligus elongatus causing the greatest problem, especially serious is L. salmonis. C.teres causes serious problems on Atlantic salmon in Chile. • (the term “sea lice” has also been applied to seabathers eruption caused by the larval form of Linuche unquiculata or thimble jellyfish, in Florida). • Geographic Distribution: Lepeophtheirus salmonis (salmon louse) – temperate climates in the Northern Hemisphere; Caligus elongatus – globally; C. orientalis – Japan; C. teres – Chile, C. longicaudatus – New Zealand; C. clemensis and L. cuneifer – Canadian Pacific. • Sea lice species and host affected: L. salmonis :salmonids: Atlantic salmon, Pacific salmon; sea trout, stealhead trout, Arctic char, white-spotted char, brook trout, cut-throat trout L. cuneifer: elasmobranch and teleost fish L. pectoralis: flounder L. hippoglossus: halibut C. elongatus: many marine fish species. C.
Sea lice are not lice at all, they are microscopic larvae of the thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata). About the size of speck of pepper, they float freely through the warm seas. Areas of bare skin normally escape unscathed, but when they filter through your bathing suit the fabric acts as a net and their venom can be triggered leaving large red welts and blisters – and often in the most sensitive of areas. This may tell you a bit more about the little creatures!!
