ARIZONA, USA — Some fish in community fishing waters in the Valley appear to be dying from a parasite.
Experts from Arizona Game and Fish believe it’s ichthyophthirius multifiliis, typically called ICH, that’s primarily causing them to die.
Dead catfish
On Tuesday, two catfish, from two different community fishing bodies of water, were brought to Joe Marcino, the fish pathologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
“Really scruffy-looking, kind of missing mucus,” Marcino said.
The fish came from Rio Vista Pond in Peoria and Desert Breeze in Chandler.
“Upon preliminary findings are the parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis,” Marcino said. “Which is very common in aquarium fish as well as very common in catfish.”
Marcino said a fungus was also found in the catfish too, but pending final results, he believes it’s the ICH that primarily killed them.
Game and Fish also told us, catfish that died out of Red Mountain Lake in Mesa are also believed to have died from ICH.
Stressed fish are susceptible fish
Marcino said stressed-out fish are more likely to be susceptible to parasites like ICH.
“Cooler water temperatures now in the mid-50s or so - it’s stressful for catfish. It’s getting towards their lower ranges of preferential temperature,” Marcino said.
Marcino said ICH replicates every seven to 10 days, and the cooler water makes ICH affect fish more.
“From what we’ve seen it’s more severe in cooler temperatures,” Marcino said.
While ICH is found worldwide, most commonly, in aquariums, Marcino said currently just the catfish are being found with ICH in Arizona.
“Trout aren’t showing it right now, but they’re cold-water fish, so the temperatures are better for them right now,” Marcino said.
No impact on humans
Marcino said there’s a variety of ways the ICH can be brought into the community fishing waters, adding it’s his first time in his seven years with Game and Fish that he’s seen ICH be found in them.
“There’s nothing you can do once it’s out in the wild,” Marcino said. “We do see it sometimes at hatcheries and we’re able to treat for it, but now I’ll have to just run its course.”
Marcino said that ICH does not affect humans in any way, and the ICH should resolve itself as the weather warms up.
“Those that are stressed may die from it, and the ones that aren’t stressed should be just fine,” Marcino said.
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