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Parasites are the most common pathogenic organisms found in captive-bred fish, but also affect other animals such as crustaceans, annelids, molluscs and corals.
Biologically, parasites are animals which, during all or part of their life cycle, obtain from another animal, called host, the nutrients essential for their subsistence.
In the natural environment the consequences of this parasitism often go unnoticed. On the other hand, in aquariums, confinement and population density favor infestations by certain parasites to a level detrimental to the health of the fish.
Parasitised fish always suffer damage, however slight, resulting from mechanical action (mode of fixation, migration in the body), dispossession (digestive malabsorption, anemia) or toxic action. Depending on the type of parasite and the level of infestation, parasites can simply act as pests or cause real diseases called parasitosis. Furthermore, parasites are likely to carry other pathogens or promote their establishment.
Host-parasite co-evolution and the tendency for specialization in this relationship has led to the fact that parasites are, in the natural environment, better tolerated by their host. In a closed environment, this coexistence is always at the expense of the fish…
