Several have died with no apparent signs of injury or disease. All,
however, had their mouths wide open. Yesterday, NANFA member Catherine
Murphy put some of these dead bowfin under a microscope and saw that they
had thrown up wads of partly-digested bloodworms.....and mature tapeworms!
The tapeworms are quite large - one nearly filling the open mouth of one of
the fish. The tapeworm is similar in appearance to the bass tapeworm
(Proteocephalus ambloplitis). It (or a very similar species) is reported
from bowfin in Canada and Louisiana. The bass tapeworm is "highly
pathogenic to the host" and can cause castration in bass. It appears that
it may cause death in tiny bowfin.
Is this a possible explanation for the problems some people have had raising
juvenile bowfin? Any members keeping baby bowfin should check any dead fish
with a hand lens to see if a tapeworm is involved.
I took photographs this afternoon.
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