As promised, Kristina and my other loyal followers, today's post is about tapeworms.
Mmm mmm. These are kind of like the creatures in "Tremors," but not as big.
A while back, Michigan conservation officials announced that they'd found tapeworms living in walleye. The great sport fish of the Great Lakes. Yummy. They said not to worry. You can still eat the fish, just make sure they're well done. I guess if you catch a walleye with tapeworms inside, the worms will come out of the gills after you get the fish in the cooler. What a nice surprise when you get home.
These tapeworms were native. Again, like Tremors, smaller and more cuddly, fuzzy. Now comes news from the Journal of Great Lakes Research that Asian tapeworms, invasive, deadly Asian tapeworms (do Asian carp come to mind?) have likely spread from the Detroit River (Thanks Kwame) to the rest of the Great Lakes.
"Scientists believe that one major reason for its expansion throughout parts of North America is through movement of bait fish.
This tapeworm can cause weight loss and mortality in young fishes. It primarily infects minnows and carp, but it can also be found in a variety of other fishes including bass. It has also been found in endangered species. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is aware of its significance and lists the Asian fish tapeworm as a 'Pathogen of Regional Importance.'"
What can I say? I wish for the good ol' days of regular native tapeworms. We've got to stop the immigrants from getting in. Maybe a fence?
- Green Mullet
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