Lernaea

Lernaea is a genus of copepod crustaceans whose members are commonly called anchor worms and are parasitic on freshwater fishes.

==Life cycle== Anchor worms mate during the last free-swimming (copepodid) stage of development. After mating, the female burrows into the flesh of a fish and transforms into an unsegmented, wormlike form, usually with a portion hanging from the fish's body. Eggs are released from the posterior "tails" (egg sacs) into the water, where they hatch within 24 to 36 hours. The nauplii will go through three stages before molting into copepodids, which associate with fish gills. After a further five stages and mating, the male leaves the host and dies, while the female transitions into the anchored stage (may move to different fish host). ==Diagnosis== Symptoms of anchor worm can be as follows: Anchor worms (Lernaea sp.) can be seen with the naked eye Frequent rubbing or "flashing" Localised redness Inflammation on the body of the fish Tiny white-green or red worms in wounds Breathing difficulties General lethargy