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This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more Ornamental Fish Q&A. |
These rapidly spinning ciliated organisms were seen on the examination of a skin scrape (×100).
| Question | Answer | Article | |
| Name the organism. | Trichodina, a ciliated protozoan parasite which is a common cause of skin and gill disease in ornamental fish. |
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| How is a skin scraping prepared? | A skin scrape is prepared by obtaining a small quantity of mucus from the skin surface of a freshly dead or anesthetized fish. Areas of predilection for skin parasites are those adjacent to the fins and it is a good approach to obtain material from these sites. The mucus is suspended in a small quantity of water on a microscope slide (preferably pond or tank water from which the fish was taken; tap or distilled water may destroy the parasites), a cover slip applied, and the preparation examined under the microscope (×40 magnification should be sufficient to visualize most parasites). The second picture shows prepared gill, fin, and skin biopsies. |
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