Never seen a dead shrimp look like this before....

[Shrimp&Snails]

I "borrowed" a photo of a dead cherry shrimp from another forum....i've never seen a dead shrimp look like this before:



Have any of you guys seen anything like this before?

[Mustafa]

That looks like a planaria feast to me. If those things are actually planaria...I've never seen such big ones without the triangular head.

[Neonshrimp]

That looks like a bunch of leaches/slugs feeding on the shrimp! Does your friend know what they are?

[zapisto]

yep look like leaches or related

[YuccaPatrol]

Planaria are just the most commonly recognized member of the phylum Platyhelmenthes (flatworms). There are countless forms that do not have the exaggerated triangular head we associate with planaria.

This is definitely a mass of flatworms feasting on the dead body.

When I taught a biology course, I collected flatworms for the class by placing a piece of raw meat in a stream for a day. When I came back to collect them, the piece of meat was covered with them very similar to what you see here with that dead shrimp.

[Newjohn]

Are Flat worms a threat to living Shrimp ?

John

[starrystarstarr]

That looks really icky

[badflash]

Are Flat worms a threat to living Shrimp ?

John

Not to healthy ones, but sick ones they well overwhelm and kill. I've seen them kill apple snails too. If you get a huge number they can get in the shell with them and weaken them.

I'm testing a product called PraziPro that is supposed to be invert safe, but kill planaria and hydra. I'll post back in a few weeks with the results.

[Shrimp&Snails]

Thanks for the replies.

I've never seen planaria like that before....the planaria outbreak I had several years ago were just tiny little thread like worms which weren't tough to get rid of.

Interesting but also urgh.

[TKD]

That looks really icky

Best response!

Would the worms have come from inside the shrimp or would they have already been in the aquarium?
They seem rather big to come from inside the shrimp.

Thanks,

TKD

[badflash]

Those would be lurking waiting for a meal.

Are you sure this is a cherry shrimp? Those look like salt water flat worms to me.

[Shrimp&Snails]

Yes it's a cherry shrimp and not the only one to die according to the post about it on another forum. The person who owns the tank keeps a puffer in with them and I thought the shrimp looked almost chewed.....perhaps the puffer is a brackish puffer and he's keeping freshwater shrimp in there too. Puffers are such messy eaters it doesn't surprise me the tank would be full of worms.
It's a forum I don't frequent often because their idea of shrimp keeping differs greatly from mine and most of us here.

[Gregor Samsa Mendel]

Freshwater planaria can look like the ones in that picture. You can even get them mail order from biological supply houses, which supply them to high schools and colleges.

It's amazing where you can find planaria...

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm

This species has been accidently imported around the world with potted plants. I've even seen them here in Sacramento.

[badflash]

Mine are all brown or black. I've never seen red ones.

[starrystarstarr]

The person who owns the tank keeps a puffer in with them and I thought the shrimp looked almost chewed.....perhaps the puffer is a brackish puffer and he's keeping freshwater shrimp in there too. Puffers are such messy eaters it doesn't surprise me the tank would be full of worms.
It's a forum I don't frequent often because their idea of shrimp keeping differs greatly from mine and most of us here.

Keeping any kind of shrimp with a puffer is a guaranteed death
that is such a shame.