} } angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode ( roundworm ) that causes angiostrongyliasis , the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in southeast asia and the pacific basin .

the nematode commonly resides in the pulmonary arteries of rats , giving it the common name rat lungworm .

snails are the primary intermediate hosts , where larvae develop until they are infective .

humans are incidental hosts of this roundworm , and may become infected through ingestion of larvae in raw or undercooked snails or other vectors , or from contaminated water and vegetables .

the larvae are then transported via the blood to the central nervous system , where they are the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis , a serious condition that can lead to death or permanent brain and nerve damage .

angiostrongyliasis is an infection of increasing public health importance as globalization contributes to the geographic spread of the disease .

angiostrongylus cantonensis

studies on eosinophilic meningitis . v . molluscan hosts of angiostrongylus cantonensis on pacific islands
table 2 : rats examined for angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in muñoz , nueva ecija .
table 3 : snails examined for angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in muñoz , nueva ecija .
eosinophilic meningitis in thailand . clinical studies of 484 typical cases probably caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis
epidemiology of angiostrongylus cantonensis and eosinophilic meningitis in the people ' s republic of china .
learn more about how people get infected with angiostrongylus cantonensis in this new motion graphic video .
learn more about how to keep from getting infected with angiostrongylus cantonensis in this new motion graphic video .
the truncated life - cycle of angiostrongylus cantonensis , the rat lungworm , in an accidental ( human ) host .
figure 1 : map of muñoz , nueva ecija , showing the distribution of angiostrongylus cantonensis infected rats and snails .
studies on eosinophilic meningitis . 3 . epidemiologic and clinical observations on pacific islands and the possible etiologic role of angiostrongylus cantonensis
cross jh . 1987 . public health importance of angiostrongylus cantonensis and its relatives . parasitology today 3 : 367 - 369 .
aguiar , p . , p . morera , j . pascual . 1981 . first record of angiostrongylus cantonensis in cuba .
angiostrongyliasis , the most common infectious cause of eosinophilic meningitis , results from infection by the parasitic nematode angiostrongylus cantonensis 1 . here , we present a case of eosinophilic meningitis due to a . cantonensis .
alicata je . 1991 . the discovery of angiostrongylus cantonensis as a cause of human eosinophilic meningitis . parasitology today 7 : 151 - 153 .
western blot analysis for angiostrongylus cantonensis . at left , few bands appear when an acute serum sample was tested against a . cantonensis extract . at right , many bands are present in a convalescent sample , in particular a strong band against specific 31 - kda a . cantonensis antigen ( arrowhead ) , confirming infection with a . cantonensis .
herwaldt bl . 2012 . angiostrogyliasis ( angiostrongylus cantonensis infection , neurologic angiostrongyliasis ) . centers for disease control and prevention , yellowbook , chapter 3 .
heyneman d , lim b . 1967 . angiostrongylus cantonensis : proof of direct transmission with its epidemiological implications . science 158 : 1057 - 1058 .
ash lr . diagnostic morphology of the third - stage larvae of angiostrongylus cantonensis , angiostrongylus vasorum , aelurostrongylus abstrusus , and anafilaroides rostratus ( nematoda : metastrongyloidea ) . j parasitol . 1970 ; 56 : 249–253 . pmid : 5445821
the nematode ( roundworm ) angiostrongylus cantonensis , the rat lungworm , is the most common cause of human eosinophilic meningitis . in addition , angiostrongylus ( parastrongylus ) costaricensis is the causal agent of abdominal , or intestinal , angiostrongyliasis .
angiostrongylus costaricensis causes eosinophilic gastroenteritis and is found in latin america and the caribbean .
figure a : angiostrongylus cantonensis third stage ( l3 ) , infective larva , in a wet mount , recovered from a slug . note the terminal projection on the tip of the tail which is characteristic of a . cantonensis .
jitpimolmard , s . , j . kanpittaya , e . mairiang , s . tiamkao . 2000 . mr findings of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis attributed to angiostrongylus cantonensis .
5 kälber und 5 schweine wurden mit angiostrongylus cantonensis infiziert , 3 , 7 , 14 , 28 und 56 tage nach der infektion getötet und histologisch untersucht .
figure a : angiostrongylus cantonensis third stage ( l3 ) , infective larva recovered from a slug . image captured under differential interference contrast ( dic ) microscopy .
angiostrongylus cantonensis was first described from rats in china by chen in 1935 12 and placed in the genus pulmonema , as pulmonema cantonensis . the same species was also described a short time later in 1937 as haemostrongylus ratti by yokogawa 13 , who did not realize that it was the same species that had been described already by chen . the genus pulmonema was subsequently synonymized with angiostrongylus and the species name ratti was synonymized with cantonensis . 14 these nomenclatural changes were widely accepted so that the most common and widely used name for the species became angiostrongylus cantonensis .
figure 3 . adult female ( left ) and male ( right ) of the rat lungworm , angiostrongylus cantonensis . adapted from mackerras and sandars ( 1955 ) .
ishih , a . , t . lakwo , m . sano , m . terada . 1998 . effects of albendazole against larval and adult angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats .
five calves and 5 pigs experimentally infected with larvae of angiostrongylus cantonensis were killed 3 , 7 , 14 , 28 , and 56 days after infection and histologically examined .
to cite this page : syed , s . 2001 .
angiostrongylus cantonensis
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
. memorandum on the first report of angiostrongylus in man , by nomura and lin , 1945 .
angiostrongylus costaricensis eggs and larvae in tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin ( h & e ) .
9 . luessi f , sollors j , torzewski m . et al . eosinophilic meningitis due to angiostrongylus cantonensis in germany . j travel med . 2009 ; 16 : 292 - 294
a . vitta , r . polseela , s . nateeworanart , and m . tattiyapong , “survey of angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats and giant african land snails in phitsanulok province , thailand , ”
eamsobhana p , yong hs . immunological diagnosis of human angiostrongyliasis due to angiostrongylus cantonensis ( nematoda : angiostrongylidae ) . int j infect dis . 2009 ; 13 : 425–431 . pmid : 19117782
3 . eamsobhana p , yong hs . immunological diagnosis of human angiostrongyliasis due to angiostrongylus cantonensis ( nematoda : angiostrongylidae ) . int j infect dis . 2009 ; 13 : 425 - 431
tunel assay in the subarachnoid space and meningeal area of mice infected with a . cantonensis
ash lr . 1976 . observations on the role of mollusks and planarians in the transmission of angiostrongylus cantonensis infection to man in new caledonia . revista de biologia tropical 24 : 163 - 174 .
eamsobhana p . the rat lungworm parastrongylus ( = angiostrongylus ) cantonensis : parasitology , immunology , eosinophilic meningitis , epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis . bangkok : wankaew ( iq ) book center ; 2006 .
figure a : angiostrongylus costaricensis eggs in intestinal tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin ( h & e ) .
image : left : angiostrongylus cantonensis third stage ( l3 ) , infective larva recovered from a slug . image captured under differential interference contrast ( dic ) microscopy . right : angiostrongylus adult worm recovered from vitreous humor of a human patient . the bursa is one indication that this is a male worm . the worm is most likely a . cantonensis based on the patient’s geographic location . credit : dpdx
hochberg ns , park sy , blackburn bg , et al , 2007 . distribution of eosinophilic meningitis cases attributable to angiostrongylus cantonensis , hawaii . emerg infect dis . 13 ( 11 ) : 1675–80 view article
2 . li h , xu f , gu jb , chen xg . a severe eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by infection of angiostrongylus cantonensis . am j trop med hyg . 2008 ; 79 : 568 - 570
kottwitz jj , perry kk , rose hh , hendrix cm . 2014 . angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in captive geoffroy’s tamarins ( saguinus geoffroyi ) . journal of the american veterinary medical association 245 : 821 - 827 .
mackerras mj , sandars df . 1955 . the life history of the rat lung - worm , angiostrongylus cantonensis ( chen ) ( nematoda : metastrongylidae ) . australian journal of zoology 3 : 1 - 25 .
center for disease control and prevention , 2004 .
angiostrongylus cantonensis infection
( on - line ) . cdc , division of parastitic diseases , parasitic disease information . accessed august 23 , 2004 at urltoken .
we appreciate the assistance of wanpen chaicumpa in the confirmation of the diagnosis of a . cantonensis .
richards , c . s . , & merritt , j . w . ( 1967 ) . studies on angiostrongylus cantonensis in molluscan intermediate hosts . journal of parasitology , 53 ( 2 ) , 382 - 388 .
stockdale - walden hd , slapcinsky j , qvarnstrom y , mcintosh a , bishop hs , rosseland b . 2015 . angiostrongylus cantonensis in introduced gastropods in southern florida . journal of parasitology 101 : 156 - 159 .
cross , j . 2000 .
central nervous system parasites , phasmidea , order : strongylida . angiostrongylus cantonensis
( on - line ) . atlas of medical parasitology . accessed august 23 , 2004 at urltoken .
known gastropod hosts of angiostrongylus cantonensis , associated localities and corresponding key references . * references reporting only experimental laboratory infection - no locality is given for such studies . * * references reporting both natural and experimental infection .
kim jr , hayes ka , yeung nw , cowie rh . 2014 . diverse gastropod hosts of angiostrongylus cantonensis , the rat lungworm , globally and with a focus on the hawaiian islands . plos one 9 : e94969 .
anderson , d . , l . fitzgerald , c . gardiner , a . gutter , r . harris . 1990 . eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due to angiostrongylus cantonensis as the cause of death in captive non - human primates .
alicata je . biology and distribution of the rat lungworm , angiostrongylus cantonensis , and its relationship to eosinophilic meningoencephalitis and other neurological disorders of man and animals . adv parasitol . 1965 ; 3 : 223–248 . pmid : 5334821
5 . dorta - contreras aj , padilla - docal b , moreira jm . et al . neuroimmunological findings in angiostrongylus cantonensis meningitis in ecuadorian patients . arq neuropsiquiatr . 2011 ; 69 ( 3 ) : 466 - 469
figure b : a . cantonensis l3 , infective larvae , in wet mounts , recovered from slugs .
figure c : a . cantonensis l3 , infective larvae , in wet mounts , recovered from slugs .
however , in 1986 , ubelaker 15 split the genus angiostrongylus into five genera , based largely on their anatomy , assigning species to each of the genera , based on morphology but also on the definitive host , as follows : angiostrongylus ( found in carnivores , eg , dogs , foxes , cats ) , parastrongylus ( murids , eg , mice and rats ) , angiocaulus ( mustelids , eg , martens ) , gallegostrongylus ( gerbils and one murid ) , stefanskostrongylus ( insectivores , eg , shrews , tenrecs , etc . ) . angiostrongylus cantonensis , the definitive host of which is rats , was thus transferred to the genus parastrongylus , becoming parastrongylus cantonensis . however , although occasionally used , 16 , 17 this classification has not been widely adopted and the species continues to be referred to most widely as angiostrongylus cantonensis .
martin - alonso a , foronda p , quispe - ricalde ma , feliu c , valladares b . seroprevalence of angiostrongylus cantonensis in wild rodents from the canary islands . plos one . 2011 ; 6 : e27747 . pmid : 22110752
ac : angiostrongylus cantonensis ; csf : cerebrospinal fluid ; pcr : polymerase chain reaction . * eosinophilic meningitis : ≥ 10 eosinophils / mm3 in csf or ≥10 % wbc ) . * * meningitis : ≥ 10 wbc in csf .
figure a : angiostrongylus sp . male worm , approximately 4 . 25 mm in length , recovered from vitreous humor of a human patient . the worm is most likely a . cantonensis based on the patient ' s geographic location .
figure d : angiostrongylus adult worm recovered from vitreous humor of a human patient . the bursa is one indication that this is a male worm . the worm is most likely a . cantonensis based on the patient ' s geographic location .
hochberg ns , blackburn bg , park sy , et al , 2011 . eosinophilic meningitis attributable to angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in hawaii : clinical characteristics and potential exposures . am j trop med hyg . 85 ( 4 ) : 685–90 view article
6 . tsai hc , lai ph , sy cl . et al . encephalitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis after eating raw frogs mixed with wine as a health supplement . intern med . 2011 ; 50 ( 7 ) : 771 - 774
un nouveau nematode pulmonaire : pulmonema cantonensis n . g . n . sp . , des rats de canton
qvarnstrom y , sullivan jj , bishop hs , hollingsworth r , da silva , aj . 2007 . pcr - based detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in tissue and mucus secretions from molluscan hosts . applied and environmental microbiology 73 : 1415 - 1419 .
vincent lo re , stephen j . gluckman ; eosinophilic meningitis due to angiostrongylus cantonensis in a returned traveler : case report and review of the literature , clinical infectious diseases , volume 33 , issue 9 , 1 november 2001 , pages e112–e115 , urltoken
wilkins pp , qvarnstrom y , whelen ac , et al . 2013 . the current status of laboratory diagnosis of angiostrongylus cantonensis infections in humans using serologic and molecular methods . hawaii j med public health . 72 ( 6 ) : 55–7 view article
qvarnstrom y , sullivan jj , bishop hs , hollingsworth r , da silva aj . 2007 . pcr - based detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in tissue and mucus secretions from molluscan hosts . appl environ microbiol . 73 ( 5 ) : 1415–1419 view article
angiostrongylus cantonensis , the rat lungworm , is the principal cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide , and the increase in world travel and shipborne dispersal of infected rat vectors has extended this parasite to regions outside of its traditional geographic boundaries . we report a case of eosinophilic meningitis due to a . cantonensis in a patient who recently returned from a trip in the pacific .
angiostrongylus cantonensis is a nematode ( phylum nematoda ) in the superfamily metastrongyloidea and family angiostrongylidae . 8 the systematics of the angiostrongylidae is not well understood , with many species inadequately described and probably others not yet recognized , a situation that has advanced but little since anderson 8 expressed the hope over 30 years ago that this might improve . there are around 20 species in the genus angiostrongylus globally 9 , 10 two of these cause disease in humans : angiostrongylus costaricensis morera & céspedes , 1971 , which causes abdominal angiostrongyliasis , and which is a problem especially in south and central america , 10 , 11 and angiostrongylus cantonensis ( chen , 1935 ) , which causes eosinophilic meningitis , is spreading rapidly to many parts of the world , and is the subject of this paper .
alicata , j . e . ( 1967 ) . effect of freezing and boiling on the infectivity of third - stage larvae of angiostrongylus cantonensis present in land snails and freshwater prawns . journal of parasitology , 53 ( 5 ) , 1064 - 1066 .
citation : kim jr , hayes ka , yeung nw , cowie rh ( 2014 ) diverse gastropod hosts of angiostrongylus cantonensis , the rat lungworm , globally and with a focus on the hawaiian islands . plos one 9 ( 5 ) : e94969 . urltoken
qvarnstrom y , sullivan jj , bishop hs , hollingsworth r , da silva aj : pcr - based detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in tissue and mucus secretions from molluscan hosts . appl . environ . microbiol . ; 2007 ; 73 : 1415 - 1419 .
we thank paron dekumyoy ( faculty of tropical medicine , mahidol university , thailand ) for performing the serological testing for angiostrongylus and gnathostoma species .
7 . diao z , chen x , yin c . et al . angiostrongylus cantonensis : effect of combination therapy with albendazole and dexamethasone on th cytokine gene expression in pbmc from patients with eosinophilic meningitis . exp parasitol . 2009 ; 123 : 1 - 5
synonym or cross reference : parastrongylus cantonensis , rat lungworm , angiostrongyliasis , cerebral angiostrongyliasis , eosinophilic meningitis , eosinophilic meningoencephalitis .
synonym or cross reference : parastrongylus cantonensis , rat lungworm , angiostrongyliasis , cerebral angiostrongyliasis , eosinophilic meningitis , eosinophilic meningoencephalitis .
with the improvement of public health , eosinophilic meningitis associated with angiostrongylus cantonensis infection is now seldom reported in taiwan . eosinophilic meningitis typically occurred sporadically in children . this study aims to analyze the clinical manifestations and change in the contemporary epidemiology of eosinophilic meningitis in taiwan .
qvarnstrom y , xayavong m , da silva aca , et al . 2015 . real - time polymerase chain reaction detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis dna in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with eosinophilic meningitis . am j trop med hyg . ( epub ahead of print ) view article
figure b : angiostrongylus worm . note the very long spicules ( black arrows ) , one of the indications that this is a male worm .
the distribution map revealed that the sampling points for infected rats and snails overlap implying potential hosts occurring in the same area ( figure 1 ) . the map also showed that the selected villages have rats and snails harboring a . cantonensis and other parasites . two villages , namely , sapang cawayan and villa nati have the known definitive and intermediate hosts of a . cantonensis . however , there are also villages which have a . cantonensis infected rats but no a . cantonensis infected snails .
once angiostrongylus cantonensis becomes established in populations of rats , it is likely to be a permanent concern . eradication of rats and molluscs potentially could eliminate the problem , but this is impossible to accomplish . their abundance can be reduced , however , minimizing risk of infection .
hochberg ns , blackburn bg , park sy , sejvar jj , effler pv , herwaldt bl . eosinophilic meningitis attributable to angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in hawaii : clinical characteristics and potential exposures . am j trop med hyg . 2011 oct ; 85 ( 4 ) : 685–90 .
figure b : a . cantonensis ( l3 ) , infective larvae recovered from a slug . image captured under dic microscopy .
being infected with angiostrongyliasis does not protect you against becoming infected again in the future from another exposure to a . cantonensis .
lv s , zhang y , liu h - x , zhang c - w , steinmann p , zhou s - n , utsinger j . 2009b . angiostrongylus cantonensis : morphological and behavioral investigation within the freshwater snail pomacea canaliculata . parasitology research 104 : 1351 - 1359 .
sawanyawisuth k , chindaprasirt j , senthong v , limpawattana p , auvichayapat n , tassniyom s , et al . clinical manifestations of eosinophilic meningitis due to infection with angiostrongylus cantonensis in children . korean j parasitol . 2013 ; 51 ( 6 ) : 735–8 . pmid : 24516281
angiostrongylus is a parasitic nematode that can cause severe gastrointestinal or central nervous system disease in humans , depending on the species . angiostrongylus cantonensis , which is also known as the rat lungworm , causes eosinophilic meningitis and is prevalent in southeast asia and tropical pacific islands . the recognized distribution of the parasite has been increasing over time and infections have been identified in other areas , including africa , the caribbean , and the united states .
noda , s . , & sato , a . ( 1990 ) . effects of infection with angiostrongylus cantonensis on the circulating haemocyte population and the haematopoietic organ of the host snail m - line biomphalaria glabrata . journal of helminthology , 64 ( 3 ) , 239 - 247 .
citation : martin - alonso a , abreu - yanes e , feliu c , mas - coma s , bargues md , valladares b , et al . ( 2015 ) intermediate hosts of angiostrongylus cantonensis in tenerife , spain . plos one 10 ( 3 ) : e0120686 . urltoken
citation : epelboin l , blondé r , chamouine a , chrisment a , diancourt l , villemant n , et al . ( 2016 ) angiostrongylus cantonensis infection on mayotte island , indian ocean , 2007 - 2012 . plos negl trop dis 10 ( 5 ) : e0004635 . urltoken
lim , j . m . , lee , c . c . , & wilder - smith , a . ( 2004 ) . eosinophilic meningitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis : a case report and literature review . journal of travel medicine , 11 ( 6 ) , 388 - 390 .
angiostrongylus cantonensis , the rat lungworm , is the major cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide . rats serve as the definitive host of the nematode , but humans can be infected incidentally , leading to eosinophilic meningitis . a previous balb / c animal study has demonstrated increased apoptotic proteins and decreased anti - apoptotic proteins in mice infected with a . cantonensis . steroids may be an effective treatment option for eosinophilic meningitis caused by a . cantonensis , but the involved mechanism is unclear . this study hypothesized that the beneficial effects of steroids on eosinophilic meningitis are mediated by decreased apoptosis .
liu c , song h , zhang r , chen m , xu m , ai l , et al . specific detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in the snail achatina fulica using a loop - mediated isothermal amplification ( lamp ) assay . mol cell probes . 2011 ; 25 : 164–167 . pmid : 21515360
how to cite this article : liu j , gao j , zhou c . a case report on eosinophilic meningitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis . int j med sci 2011 ; 8 ( 6 ) : 510 - 513 . doi : 10 . 7150 / ijms . 8 . 510 . available from urltoken
iwanowicz dd , sanders lr , schill wb , xayavong mv , da silva aj , qvarnstrom y , smith t . 2015 . spread of the rat lungworm ( angiostrongylus cantonensis ) in giant african land snails ( lissachatina fulica ) in florida , usa . journal of wildlife diseases 51 : 749 - 753 .
jin e , qiang ma , da - qing ma , wen he , ai - ping j , and cheng - hong y . magnetic resonance imaging of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis following eating freshwater snails . chinese medical journal . 2008 ; 121 ( 1 ) : 67–72 67 . pmid : 18208669
nueva ecija is the rice granary of the philippines and one of its towns , muñoz , was observed to have a . cantonensis [ 4 , 5 ] . the intensity and molecular biology of the observed parasites were not determined in previous studies . however , it is important to present stronger evidence regarding the presence of a . cantonensis as it could be mistaken for other species of angiostrongylus . furthermore , the intermediate host remains unknown in the region . this is an important key in assessing the infection of a . cantonensis particularly in humans because these hosts harbor the infective stage of the parasite . thus , this study was conducted to determine the extent of infection of a . cantonensis among rats and snails collected from muñoz .
campbell bg , little md . 1988 . the finding of angiostrongylus cantonesis in rats in new orleans . american journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 38 : 568 - 573 .
case 2 . angiostrongylus vasorum in the anterior chamber of the left eye of a 2 - year - old male cavalier king charles spaniel dog . ( mov 1003 kb )
a . cantonensis is the most common parasitic cause of eosinophilic meningitis outside europe and north america [ 4 ] . human cases of angiostrongyliasis , a neurotropic helminthic infection , have been reported in the south pacific , asia , australia , and the caribbean [ 4 , 5 ] . in the united states , case series have been reported from hawaii , where angiostrongylus infection is endemic [ 5 ] . there have also been reports of rats infected with angiostrongylus species in louisiana [ 6 ] .
figure c : higher magnification of image b . note the terminal projection on the tip of the tail which is characteristic of a . cantonensis .
angiostrongyliasis , also known as rat lungworm , is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord . it is caused by a parasitic nematode ( roundworm parasite ) called angiostrongylus cantonensis . the adult form of a . cantonensis is only found in rodents . however , infected rodents can pass larvae of the worm in their feces . snails , slugs , and certain other animals ( including freshwater shrimp , land crabs , and frogs ) can become infected by ingesting this larvae ; these are considered intermediate hosts . humans can become infected with a . cantonensis if they eat ( intentionally or otherwise ) a raw or undercooked infected intermediate host , thereby ingesting the parasite . for more information on the life - cycle of a . cantonensis , visit the cdc website .
burns r . e , bicknese e . j , qvarnstrom y , deleon - carnes m , drew c . p , gardiner ch . , rideout ba . 2014 . cerebral angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in a captive african pygmy falcon ( polihierax semitorquatus ) in southern california . journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation 26 : 695 - 698 .
tube 1 , dna isolated from plutonia lamarckii tissue ; tube 2 , dna obtained from a . cantonensis adult worms ; tube 3 , negative control .
wang qp , wu zd , wei rl , owen zr , and lun zr . human angiostrongylus cantononsis : an update . eur . j clin microbiol . infect . dis . 2011
figure a : angiostrongylus costaricensis female worm in appendix tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin ( h & e ) . image courtesy of regions hospital , st . paul , mn .
while the systematics of angiostrongylidae is in need of detailed study , the complex life cycle of angiostrongylus cantonensis is relatively well understood . the parasite is spreading widely around the world , resulting in cases of angiostrongyliasis in places where it had not previously been recorded , facilitated by ease of global travel , globalization of commerce , and climate change .
is not specific for either definitive or intermediate hosts . the requirement is that the intermediate host must be an invertebrate while the definitive is a terrestrial mammal . paratenic hosts , where the parasites don ' t develop to the next stage , can be either invertebrate or vertebrate . the definitive hosts for angiostrongylus cantonensis are usually rodents from the genus
citation : jarvi si , pitt wc , farias me , shiels l , severino mg , howe km , et al . ( 2015 ) detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in the blood and peripheral tissues of wild hawaiian rats ( rattus rattus ) by a quantitative pcr ( qpcr ) assay . plos one 10 ( 4 ) : e0123064 . urltoken
angiostrongylus cantonensis is the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans . it is usually caused by ingestion of raw or inadequately cooked intermediate hosts or food contaminated with infective third - stage larvae . we describe a case of eosinophilic meningitis caused by a . cantonensis in a male chinese patient . the patient had a history of eating raw fish and snail . we describe the clinical features of the patient , the diagnostic process and treatments . we also provide a brief update for physicians on the characteristics , diagnosis and treatment of eosinophilic meningitis caused by a . cantonensis , with particular emphasis on the update of prevalence and treatment of the disease in china .
beaver pc , rosen l . memorandum on the first report of angiostrongylus in man , by nomura and lin , 1945 . am j trop med hyg . 1964 ; 13 : 589–90 .
asato r , taira k , nakamura m , kudaka j , itokazu k , kawanaka m . changing epidemiology of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis in okinawa prefecture , japan .
the life history of a . mackerrasae was found to differ from that of a . cantonensis as follows : ( 1 ) the moulting times of a . cantonensis in the definitive host occurred a few days earlier than those of a . mackerrasae ; ( 2 ) the growth rate of a . cantonensis was more rapid than that of a . mackerrasae . however , there were no differences in the migratory pattern of the third - stage larvae of both species in experimentally - infected definitive hosts . it is concluded that mackerras & sandars ( 1955 ) described the life history of a . mackerrasae and not a . cantonensis .
chen ht . un nouveau nematode pulmonaire , pulmonema cantonensis , ngn sp . des rats de canton . ann . parasit . 1935 ; 13 : 312 .
huttemann , m . , schmahl , g . , & mehlhorn , h . ( 2007 ) . light and electron microscopic studies on two nematodes , angiostrongylus cantonensis and trichuris muris , differing in their mode of nutrition . parasitology research , 101 suppl 2 , s225 - 32 . doi : 10 . 1007 / s00436 - 007 - 0698 - 1
slom tj , cortese mm , gerber si , jones rc , holtz th , lopez mhs , zambrano ch , sufit rl , sakilvaree y , chaicumpa w , herwaldt bl , johnson s . 2002 . an outbreak of eosinophilic meningitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis in travelers returning from the caribbean . new england journal of medicine 346 : 668 - 574 .
teem jl , qvarnstrom y , bishop hs , da silva aj , carter j , white - mclean j , smith t . 2013 . the occurrence of the rat lungworm , angiostrongylus cantonensis , in nonindigenous snails in the gulf of mexico region of the united states . hawaii journal of medicine and public health 72 supplement 2 : 11 - 14 .
lv s , zhang y , liu h - x , hu l , yang k , steinmann p , chen z , wang l - y , utzinger j , zhou s - n . 2009a . invasive snails and an emerging infectious disease : results from the first national survey on angiostrongylus cantonensis in china . plos neglected tropical diseases 3 : e368 .
phylogeny constructed using the classifications and phylogenies of bouchet and rocroi , aktipis et al . and strong et al . [ 59 ] – [ 61 ] , indicating the diversity of families in which mollusc species have been shown to act as hosts of angiostrongylus cantonensis . bars at the right of the tree indicate the taxonomic group that the families belong to .
nematodes of the genus angiostrongylus are important causes of potentially life - threatening diseases in several animal species and humans . angiostrongylus vasorum affects the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary arteries in dogs , red foxes and other carnivores . the diagnosis of canine angiostrongylosis may be challenging due to the wide spectrum of clinical signs . ocular manifestations have been seldom reported but have serious implications for patients .
qvarnstrom y , da silva aqa , teem jl , hollingsworth r , bishop h , graeff - teixeira c , and da silva aj : improved molecular detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in mollusks and other environmental samples with a species - specific internal transcribed spacer 1 - based taqman assay . appl . envir . microbiol . ; 2010 ; 76 : 5287 – 5289 .
the pcr method was successfully applied to mucus secretions from p . martensi . spiking experiments revealed that the pcr could detect a single a . cantonensis larva in approximately 0 . 3 g of secretions . despite this , the majority of naturally infected p . martensi semislugs examined in this study did not have detectable levels of larvae in their mucus . since the notion that mollusks infected with a . cantonensis can shed larvae in their mucus trails was first suggested , other workers have found no or very few a . cantonensis larvae secreted from infected mollusks ( 3 , 7 , 8 ) . similar results have been obtained for excretion of other angiostrongylus species ( 6 , 15 , 25 , 28 ) .
angiostrongylus cantonensis - associated eosinophilic meningitis in humans has been commonly reported worldwide . however parasitologically confirmed cases are not common , as the parasite has been recovered only infrequently from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients . the potential value of immunodiagnosis is therefore self - evident . immunological tests can also help in the differential diagnosis of parasitic ( particularly helminths ) infections that cause eosinophilic meningitis . this paper summarizes the state of and advances in the immunological diagnosis of human angiostrongyliasis due to angiostrongylus ( = parastrongylus ) cantonensis . a specific antigen is available for the definitive diagnosis and unequivocal differentiation of eosinophilic meningitis due to helminth infections . rapid diagnostic kits based on dot - blot elisa have been developed and have proved to be simple , effective , and economical for field use .
figure 1 . rats are the normal host of angiostrogylus cantonensis nematodes . they acquire the parasite by feeding on infected molluscs . photograph by jennifer l . gillett - kaufman .
angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode and one of the major causes of eosinophilic meningitis , a potentially fatal disease in humans and other mammals , as well as birds [ 1 ] – [ 6 ] . additional causes of eosinophilic meningitis include other parasitic , bacterial , viral and fungal infections , as well as intracranial malignancies or medical devices and allergic reactions to drugs [ 7 ] . angiostrongylus cantonensis has been recorded on all continents except europe and antarctica and over 2 , 800 human cases of eosinophilic meningitis caused by it have been reported from about 30 countries [ 8 ] , [ 9 ] . most records of the disease , also known as rat lungworm disease , have been from tropical and subtropical areas in southeast asia and the pacific basin . however , cases have also been sporadically reported in other regions , including places where a . cantonensis is not present , when people return from regions where it occurs [ 8 ] – [ 13 ] .
two of the samples that tested positive with lamp were confirmed as positive by 18s rrna pcr ( genbank accession number km096415 ) . both were from p . lamarckii specimens . sequences exhibited 100 % similarity to an 18s rrna gene partial sequence of a . cantonensis retrieved from genbank ( ay295804 . 1 ) [ 18 ] and to a sequence obtained from a . cantonensis third stage larvae of parmarion cf . martensi [ 20 ] . both samples were confirmed to be infected with a . cantonensis by amplification of the its1 region .
however , if snails or slugs become abundant in home garden or other vegetable production areas and the produce is to be eaten raw , the produce should be examined for molluscs and washed thoroughly . soaking vegetables with 1 . 5 % bleach solution for 15 minutes ( 4 tablespoons or 2 oz of bleach per gallon of rinse water ; or 15 ml of bleach per liter of water ) has been shown to be effective for control of angiostrongylus costaricensis ( zanini and graeff - teixeira 2001 ) , and this decontamination procedure might be advisable for leafy vegetables that are potentially contaminated by angiostrongylus cantonensis as well .
8 . punyagupta s , juttijudata p , bunnag t . eosinophilic meningitis in thailand : clinical studies of 484 typical cases probably caused by angiostrongylus . am j trop med hyg . 1975 ; 24 : 921 - 931
duffy ms , miller cl , kinsella jm , de lahunta a . 2004 . parastrongylus cantonensis in a nonhuman primate , florida . emerging infectious diseases 10 : 2207 - 2210 .
apoptosis of mice brain homogenates can be repressed by treatment with dexamethasone . the findings here demonstrate one mechanism of action of corticosteroids in the treatment of a . cantonensis eosinophilic meningitis .
in humans , angiostrongylus eggs and larvae are not normally excreted but remain sequestered in tissues . a . costaricensis infections are predominantly abdominal ; both eggs and larvae ( occasionally adult worms ) can be identified in biopsy or surgical specimens of intestinal tissue where the eggs and larvae are engulfed in giant cells and / or granulomas . a . cantonensis infections are predominantly cerebral , being one of the most common causes of eosinophilic meningitis , although developing but immature adult worms can on occasion migrate to the lungs . no a . cantonensis eggs or larvae have been recognized in human tissues .
this study reveals an increase in brain apoptotic protein expressions and blood - brain barrier damage as demonstrated by increase evans blue extravasations following 2 - 3 weeks of infection with third stage larvae of a . cantonensis . steroid administration remarkably decreases the evans blue staining and apoptotic protein expressions . these findings provide evidences supporting the effects of steroids on a . cantonensis infection .
angiostrongylids are roundworms ( nematodes ) with thin cylindrical bodies . research has focused primarily on angiostrongylus cantonensis and species closely related to it . 2 , 10 , 15 , 18 – 22 angiostrongylus cantonensis and a . mackerrasae ( which was misidentified 20 as a . cantonensis by mackerras and sandars 18 in their detailed study ) are extremely similar in size and anatomy , 20 and the following data of mackerras and sandars for a . mackerrasae refer equally to a . cantonensis . first stage larvae are about 0 . 3 mm long and 0 . 015 mm in width ; second stage larvae are about 0 . 45 by 0 . 03 mm ; third stage larvae are similar in size , though a little thinner ; fourth stage larvae reach about 1 . 0 by 0 . 4 mm . the newly molted sub - adults are about 2 mm by 0 . 06 mm ; they grow to about 12 mm ( females ) and 11 mm ( males ) before leaving the rat ' s brain and migrating to the pulmonary arteries ( see the life cycle section , below ) , where they mature , reaching a size of up to about 35 by 0 . 6 mm ( females ) and 25 by 0 . 4 mm ( males ) . a number of publications have provided good descriptions of a . cantonensis . 10 , 20 , 23
hwang kp , chen er . clinical studies on angiostrongyliasis cantonensis among children in taiwan . southeast asian j trop med public health . 1991 ; 22 suppl : 194–9 . pmid : 1822885
in cases of eosinophilic meningitis , the diagnosis of a . cantonensis infection should be considered and the appropriate exposure history obtained . it is important for clinicians to consider a . cantonensis when evaluating a patient with an eosinophilic meningitis , even in regions outside of its traditional geographic boundaries . this case also highlights the new immunologic techniques being used to confirm the diagnosis of angiostrongyliasis .
eosinophilic meningitis can be the result of noninfectious causes and infectious agents . among the infectious agents , angiostrongylus cantonensis and gnathostoma spinigerum are the most common . although angiostrongyliasis and gnathostomiasis are not common in the united states , international travel and immigration make these diseases clinically relevant . both a . cantonensis and g . spinigerum infection can present as severe cns compromise . diagnoses of both infections can be challenging and are often clinical because of a paucity of serological assays readily available in the united states . furthermore , there are conflicting recommendations about treatment for angiostrongyliasis and gnathostomiasis . to further explore the emerging nature of these helminthic infections , a case description and review of a . cantonensis and g . spinigerum infections are presented . the clinical severity of eosinophilic meningitis and diagnosis of these infections are highlighted .
kwon e , ferguson tm , park sy , et al . 2013 . a severe case of angiostrongylus eosinophilic meningitis with encephalitis and neurologi sequelae in hawaii . hawaii j med public health . 72 ( 6 ) : 41–5 view article
serum and csf samples were sent to the faculty of tropical medicine , mahidol university ( thailand ) for helminthic immunoassay . the acute - phase serological and csf specimens collected during the patient ' s initial hospitalization tested negative for angiostrongyliasis and gnathostomiasis . the convalescent - phase serum and csf samples , collected 76 and 66 days after presentation , respectively , tested positive for antibodies against an angiostrongylus cantonensis 31 - kda antigen by immunoblot assay .
zanini gm , graeff - teixeira c . 2001 . inactivation of infective larvae of angiostrongylus costaricensis with short time incubations in 1 . 5 % bleach solution , vinegar or saturated cooking salt solution . acta tropica 78 : 17 - 21 .
there are limited controlled trials that outline the benefit or harm of using antihelminthics for treatment of a . cantonensis and g . spinigerum cns infection [ 3 , 17 ] . because of our patient ' s severe neurologic symptoms and progressive course of infection , he received a 28 - day course of albendazole therapy , with no clinical change . importantly , some eosinophilic meningitis treatment trials include patients who receive a diagnosis of angiostrongylus infection on the basis of local epidemiology and symptomotology but not serological testing . it is possible that some treatment trials are confounded by patients with eosinophilic meningitis secondary to a different helminthic infection , given the overlap in the geographic distribution of gnathostoma and angiostrongylus species .
a total of 64 rats ( 31 % ) were found to be infected with a . cantonensis ( table 2 ) . the rats belonging to r . norvegicus showed 46 % ( 11 / 24 ) prevalence for a . cantonensis infection while r . tanezumi showed 29 % ( 53 / 185 ) prevalence . statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the rat species ( , ) . furthermore , intensity of a . cantonensis for r . tanezumi ( 62 parasite / rat ) is higher than r . norvegicus ( 43 parasite / rat ) and also showed no significant differences ( ; ) .
the 18s and its1 amplifications gave identical results . of the 37 species , 16 tested positive for a . cantonensis , with 70 specimens testing positive out of a total of 1 , 271 ( table 1 ) . among the 30 non - native species , 14 tested positive , two being newly recorded natural hosts of a . cantonensis ( cyclotropis sp . , oxychilus alliarius ) . of a total of 1 , 062 non - native gastropods , 6 % were positive for a . cantonensis . no specimens of four non - native species ( bradybaena similaris , deroceras laeve , limax flavus , melanoides tuberculata ) that have been recorded in other studies as hosts of a . cantonensis ( appendix s1 ) tested positive for the parasite . parmarion martensi had the highest prevalence of infection with 68 % ( 13 / 19 ) of the specimens testing positive for a . cantonensis followed by laevicaulis alte with an infection rate of 30 % ( 13 / 44 ) ( table 1 , figure 2 ) .
this is a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with eosinophilic meningitis at kaohsiung veterans general hospital , from december 1991 to september 2009 . the demographic characteristics , clinical presentations , laboratory data , radiographic imaging , and treatment and clinical outcome were analyzed . a pubmed search with the keywords of eosinophilic meningitis , a cantonensis , and taiwan was performed to retrieve cases of eosinophilic meningitis caused by a cantonensis since 1960 .
one hundred respondents in the study site were interviewed and a questionnaire was given out to each respondent . the respondents include farmers and housewives which are people that have high chances of getting a . cantonensis .
human angiostrongyliasis ( ha ) is a neurological helminthic disease caused by the lung worm angiostrongylus cantonensis . it is suspected in the combination of travel or a residence in an endemic area and eosinophilic meningitis . in mayotte , an island in the indian ocean , cases are rare but regular . the main objective of our study was to describe the epidemiological and diagnosis clues of ha in mayotte . the secondary objectives were to evaluate the contribution of real - time polymerase chain reaction ( rt - pcr ) for the diagnosis of ha , delineate the characteristics of the local transmission and ascertain the presence of a . cantonensis in achatina fulica , the potential vector of the disease .
angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic worm of rats . it is also called the rat lungworm . the adult form of the parasite is found only in rodents . infected rats pass larvae of the parasite in their feces . snails and slugs get infected by ingesting the larvae . these larvae mature in snails and slugs but do not become adult worms . the life cycle is completed when rats eat infected snails or slugs and the larvae further mature to become adult worms .
autochthonous angiostrongylus cantonensis infection has been little recognized in the continental united states with the exception of louisiana . in contrast , it was recognized in hawai‘i in the early 1960s , and the parasite has been considered endemic since . however , infections were rare until late 2004 , when a case cluster was noted on the island of hawai‘i . while still uncommon , a . cantonensis infection has continued to emerge throughout the state , especially on the island of hawai‘i . despite increased community awareness , the diagnosis is commonly missed , and the lack of diagnostic tests as well as the challenge of educating clinicians and the public are constant limitations to the prevention and control of this emerging infection .
angiostrongylus cantonensis or the rat lungworm is a zoonotic helminth responsible for the disease called angiostrongylosis . its life cycle involves rodents as definitive hosts and mollusks as intermediate hosts . it can also infect other animals , for example , shrimps and frogs , without further development and still be infective when ingested . humans , however , are dead - end hosts for a . cantonensis and can be infected through ingestion of infected mollusks , things contaminated by infected mollusks , for example , soil and vegetables [ 1 , 2 ] , and ingestion of paratenic hosts . as a result , a . cantonensis is the major cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans particularly in indo - pacific regions where it is endemic . the animal - human environmental interface of a . cantonensis is difficult to assess and one of the reasons is that its hosts are easily affected by changes in the environment [ 3 ] . changes in ecology and environment may also result in changes in the epidemiology of this parasite . thus , it is important to assess the possible transmission route of the parasite due to its risks to both veterinary and public health .
the low prevalence of a . cantonensis in freshwater snails in the study may has resulted from a number of factors such as the seasonal infection of rats with a . cantonensis . based on a study by antolin et al . [ 4 ] , female r . tanezumi in philrice farms from nueva ecija were found to be infected with a . cantonensis during june to september . this could mean that the transmission of the parasite between its hosts may have happened during these months . in connection to this , snails for the study were collected during other months of the year . furthermore , ecological characteristics of p . canaliculata and m . maculata such as their benthic life cycle may also be accounted for the low prevalence of a . cantonensis infection . according to lv et al . [ 16 ] , only a few species of freshwater snails naturally transmit a . cantonensis because rat feces containing its l1 are diluted in freshwater bodies . previous studies suggest that a . cantonensis infection in terrestrial snails and slugs are higher than freshwater snails [ 19 – 21 ] . in the present study , no a . cantonensis l3 was observed in a . fulica . the reason is unclear ; however , possibilities exist such as effects of seasonal variations and habitat of hosts on the transmission of parasite . based on observations , a . fulica becomes active when it starts to rain . in the study of salibay and luyon [ 22 ] , fewer rats were caught in rainy days . this indicates that there may have been less contact between rats and a . fulica . studies in other countries have shown that a . fulica are naturally infected with the parasite [ 8 , 17 , 19 , 23 – 25 ] . in the philippines , few reports regarding a . cantonensis infection in snails can be found . a . fulica and laevicaulis altae from metro manila were revealed to be infected with a . cantonensis [ 9 , 10 , 26 ] but other than the snail , no other reports have been made . this study , however , is the first record of a . cantonensis infected p . canaliculata and m . maculata in the philippines .
drug susceptibility : there is no specific treatment for angiostrongyliasis . a cantonensis is susceptible to albendazole and mebendazole , but a systemic response to dying worms may make the condition worse ( 2 , 3 , 7 ) .
drug susceptibility : there is no specific treatment for angiostrongyliasis . a cantonensis is susceptible to albendazole and mebendazole , but a systemic response to dying worms may make the condition worse ( 2 , 3 , 7 ) .
asato r , taira k , nakamura m , kudaka j , itokazu k , et al . ( 2004 ) changing epidemiology of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis in okinawa prefecture , japan . jpn j infect dis 57 : 184–186 .
a . cantonensis was detected by morphological and / or molecular methods in all three mollusc species and from all the areas studied . the three species are common and widespread over the north - east part of tenerife .
eamsobhanaa p , limb pe , solano g , zhange h , ganf x , yongc hs : molecular differentiation of angiostrongylus taxa ( nematoda : angiostrongylidae ) by cytochrome c oxidase subunit i ( coi ) gene sequences . acta tropica ; 2010 ; 116 : 152–156 .
the pcr method presented here may also be useful for detecting angiostrongylus costaricensis , a parasitic nematode that causes gastrointestinal disease ( 22 ) . a . costaricensis has a life cycle similar to that of a . cantonensis , including the fact that mollusks are intermediate hosts that transmit the disease to humans ( 21 ) . the pcr primers described in this study are based on regions where these two parasites have almost identical sequences ( genbank accession number dq116748 ) , making it possible to use this pcr to examine mollusks for the presence of a . costaricensis , as well as a . cantonensis . the two species can be differentiated by sequence analysis . in addition to amplifying the intended angiostrongylus species sequence , the pcr primers were found to interact with an unidentified nematode species . this finding emphasizes the importance of sequence analysis of the pcr amplicons . it also highlights the need for further evaluation of the specificity of the pcr primers for dna from more nematode species , especially those that are associated with mollusks .
neuroimaging studies are often nonfocal without any characteristic lesions . despite this , they may be helpful to distinguish a . cantonensis eosinophilic meningitis from focal lesions which is more commonly seen with other parasitic infections such as neurocysticercosis and gnathostomiasis .
wang , l . c . , jung , s . m . , chen , c . c . , wong , h . f . , wan , d . p . , & wan , y . l . ( 2006 ) . pathological changes in the brains of rabbits experimentally infected with angiostrongylus cantonensis after albendazole treatment : histopathological and magnetic resonance imaging studies . the journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy , 57 ( 2 ) , 294 - 300 . doi : 10 . 1093 / jac / dki430
recovery of a . cantonensis from the patient’s csf confirms the diagnosis ; however , the organism is rarely detected on microscopy as it can adhere to the meninges and often migrates in neural tissue rather than remaining in the extrameningeal space .
although infected humans usually recover , the nematodes can penetrate the brain , spinal cord , and eyes , and sometimes cause paralysis , blindness , or death . other primates , dogs , horses , birds and other animals also are susceptible to infection . a particularly good host of the nematode is giant african land snail , achatina fulica , which has been deliberately relocated to some areas , but movement in association with other molluscs and rats is implicated in the spread of angiostrongylus cantonensis ( duffy et al . 2004 ) .


gyrinocheilus is the single genus in the family gyrinocheilidae , a family of small southeast asian cypriniform fishes that live in fast-flowing freshwater mountain streams .

the species in this genus are commonly called " algae eaters . "

they hold on to fixed objects using a sucker-like mouth , and , despite the name , feed on a wide range of detritus , rather than simply on algae .

a " golden " variety of g. aymonieri , the chinese algae eater or " sucking loach " , can be found in many pet shops and fish farms .

gyrinocheilus

the other species in the genus , gyrinocheilus pennocki and the gyrinocheilus pustulosus , are rarely seen in the aquarium trade .
gyrinocheilus aymonieri is commercially bred with the use of hormones . there are no well documented reports of aquarium breeding of gyrinocheilus aymonieri .
chinese algae eater - gyrinocheilus | tropical fish misc . | pinterest | freshwater fish and tropical fish
matt clarke looks at gyrinocheilus pennocki , the spotted algae eater , a fish easy to mistake for aymonieri .
froese , r . & pauly , d . , eds . ( 2011 ) . gyrinocheilus aymonieri in catalog of fishes .
gyrinocheilus aymonieri is a large , drab fish with little to recommend it and a fish which is unlikely to get along with any other species .
chinese algae - eaters ( gyrinocheilus aymonieri ) often feed off the body slime of other fish , causing injury or death . photo by pseudogastromyzon / wikipedia
kingdom : animalia phylum : chordata class : actinopterygii order : cypriniformes family : gyrinocheilidae genus : gyrinocheilus species : g . aymonieri , ( tirant , 1883 )
the iucn red list of endangered species lists gyrinocheilus aymonieri as ' least concern ' . the species is very widespread and local threats make little difference to the whole population . gyrinocheilus aymonieri is widely collected as a food item . some are still collected for the aquatic trade but most aquarium fish have been commercially bred with the mutant white morph being the most popular .
gyrinocheilus : from the ancient greek γυρῖνος ( gyrinos ) , meaning ‘tadpole’ , and χείλος ( cheílos ) , meaning ‘lip’ , due to the somewhat triangular , tadpole - like shape of the mouthparts .
gyrinocheilus species exhibit some morphological peculiarities which separate them from all other genera in the order cypriniformes . they lack pharyngeal teeth and possess a small , spiracle - like aperture at the top of each opercle .
keeping gyrinocheilus aymonieri in a group with the aim of spreading the aggression won ' t normally work , it will make things worse because instead of there being just one trouble maker there will be several .
arai , r . , a . suzuki and y . akai , 1988 - japanese journal of ichthyology 34 ( 4 ) : 515 - 517 the karyotype and dna value of a cypriniform algae eater , gyrinocheilus aymonieri .
in nature gyrinocheilus aymonieri will sift through the detritus picking out morsels of food . in captivity it will eat anything and everything , sadly for most new fish keepers the fish they bought as an algae eater will ignore the stuff , instead it will go for a higher quality diet and eat all the usual fish food on offer . gyrinocheilus aymonieri are very bold feeders and may try to take over the food for themselves by behaving very aggressively to other fish at feeding time . shy timid species won ' t usually thrive for very long in the presence of a sucking loach .
gyrinocheilus aymonieri isn ' t actually a true loach . it is a close relative of the loaches but has its own family - gyrinocheiliidae , which contains one genus , with four species . as well as the typical wild form there is a white aquarium morph but both morphs behave in the same way .
gyrinocheilus aymonieri is very tolerant of wide ranging environmental conditions and from that point of view it is a very very easy fish to cater for . however it is generally to aggressive for most community aquariums and will invariably cause problems when introduced . it is particularly aggressive towards fish which are similar in appearance .
the chinese algae - eater ( gyrinocheilus aymonieri ) is a fraud . it doesn’t come from china , and it barely eats algae . worse , it often feeds off the body slime of other fish , injuring or killing them . many hobbyists end up with it as the only fish in their tank without knowing why .
despite the name , never rely on any fish with ' algae eater ' in its title . controlling algae is the job of the fish keeper , not the fish . almost every species which does eat algae will move on to the higher quality diet of fish food given the chance . this is very true of gyrinocheilus aymonieri .
most new aquarist buy gyrinocheilus aymonieri because it is wrongly sold as an algae eater when it is a couple of inches in length . initially it will be fine and probably choose to hide and keep a low profile but as it grows it will become increasingly aggressive towards all its tank mates and it won ' t eat any algae .
chinese algae eater alternative name ( s ) : algae eater , chinese catfish , sucking loach scientific name ( s ) : gyrinocheilus aymonieri category : tropical difficulty : maximum size : 28cms minimum tank volume : 250 litres minimum tank size : 48
water temperature range : 22 - 26°c water ph range : 6 . 0 - 8 . 0 water hardness range : 5 - 20 dgh
i would be interested to know what kind of fish you actually had in the tank . usually , fish going by the common name
algae eater
are either gyrinocheilus ( chinese algae eaters ) or crossocheilus siamensis ( siamese algae eaters ) . the chinese algae eater ( often confused with the siamese ) tends to only fulfill the
peaceful bottom feeder
role until it matures . adult chinese algae eaters don ' t tend to eat algae at all and are quite aggressive !
aquarium : gyrinocheilus aymonieri is a robust and easy - to - keep grazer which does a good job of keeping algae to a minimum . however , the species can become quarrelsome and territorial and may rasp the mucus from the flanks of larger fishes , so you need to be careful what you mix it with . g . pennocki is probably the same . according to rainboth s fishes of the cambodian mekong , g . pennocki is found on large flat rocks in fast - flowing water . in the dry season it occurs in riffles and rapids in rocky streams .
notes : this fish is a member of the cypriniform family gyrinocheilidae . the genus has three species : g . pennocki , g . pustulosus and the widely available g . aymonieri . the easiest way to tell the three apart is to count the number of branched dorsal fin rays . g . aymonieri has nine , g . pustulosus has 10 and g . pennocki has 11 . gyrinocheilus are adapted for life in fast - flowing water and have greatly reduced swimbladders . a spiracle - like hole exists behind the gill to allow them to breathe while clinging to rocks with the suctorial disc in their mouth .
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urltoken
distribution : southeast asia . freshwater mountain streams . no pharyngeal teeth . mouth inferior and suctorial for attachment onto objects . gill slit consisting of 2 small openings , inhalent aperture located above gill opening and communicating with gill chamber . barbels absent . feed only on algae . maximum size 30 cm . reared as aquarium fish .
greek , gyrinos = frog larvae + greek , cheilos = lip ( ref . 45335 ) .
the list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions , which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist .
rather , it reflects the current content of fishbase , and the progress with respect to synchronization with the catalog of fishes . however , we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in fishbase , to start new work on the family , or to cross - check with other lists .
but we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value . in particular , for published scientific , we suggest then to cite it in the material and method section as a useful tool to conduct the research , but again , not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference .
unless it is explicitly precised , the list is not complete , please search all original names published for the family in the catalog of fishes ( genera , species ) , including those with uncertain or unknown status , that are not included in fishbase when they are not attached to a valid species .
this list uses some data from catalog of fishes ( not shown but used to sort names ) .
in the column coff , the digit indicates the status of synchronization with coff : 0 : not checked ; 1 : same status ; 2 : different status ; 3 : other combination ; 4 : synonym in coff ; 5 : species / subspecies issue ; 6 : synonym of another species in coff ; 7 : not in coff ; 8 : should not be in coff . the coff version currently used is the one published on 23 - 07 - 2014 ( ref . 97102 ) .
when subfamilies are recognized , nominotypical subfamily first then other subfamilies by alphabetical order .
type genus of the family first ( or of subfamily when subfamilies are recognized ) then other genera by chronological order of description ( and alphabetical order ) .
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of this article , so you may wish to read it there . unique to this site , here are some photos of
) which is the only known fish to effectively eat red ( beard / brush ) algae . the other four fishes are ( 1 ) a very similar fish which we call the
false siamensis ,
( 2 ) a more colorful relative - the flying fox (
species and ( 4 ) the chinese algae eater . to the casual observer , all fish may look the same at first . even some reputable aquarium texts have confused the real and false siamensis . a summary table is included at the end to compare the distinguishing features among these interesting fishes .
this slender algae eating barb is the only known fish that eats red algae . it comes from the flowing waters of thailand and the malay peninsula . it was first brought to europe in 1962 , but became popular in the 1970 ' s when its ability to eat red algae was noticed . the fish is also known as siamese flying fox , and siamese fox . it previous scientific name was
it is a slender , grayish - brown fish with a distinctive black horizontal stripe . maximum length is 15 cm ( 6
) and might be obtained in two years , if the conditions are optimal . normally they grow slower and don ' t always reach that size in captivity . they can live over 10 years . all the fins are transparent or slightly milky without any yellow or reddish sheen . the black band goes from nose to the fork of the tail and its edges are zig - zagged . when a fish is stressed or fighting the black color fades significantly . underparts are silvery white and there is no light stripe over the black , but the whole upper body is brownish and every scale has a dark edge , which make the top look reticular . some dark scale edges might be seen under the black stripe . it has a pair of thin , forward - pointing barbels but they might be pressed against the cheeks when fish is swimming or resting . the long black stripe is also easy to see in young fishes , but the scale edge pattern and zig - zag edges are not clearly visible until the fish reaches the length of 5 - 7 cm ( 2 - 3
) ; the ones that are normally seen in european shops are about 3 - 5 cm ( 1 - 2
) long . adult females are often slightly fatter than males , no other sexual differences are known .
it is an active and fast swimmer , which thrives best in schools but can also be kept alone or in pairs . it is a strong jumper and should not be kept in uncovered tank , because it will eventually jump . siamese algae eaters often chase one another but they never get hurt in these fights .
has a peculiar resting position : it doesn ' t lie flat on its belly but keeps its body propped up with its tail , pelvic and pectoral fins . young fish sometimes rest on broad leaves , adult specimens prefer resting on bottom or dense , low plants like
. the swim bladder is not very developed , so the fish can ' t stay in midwater but it must be in constant motion or it sinks .
siamese algae eater is not very demanding . suitable temperature is 24 - 26 c ( 75 - 79f ) . they can tolerate ph from 5 . 5 to 8 . 0 , but 6 . 5 - 7 . 0 is ideal .
hardness should be less than 20 dh . water should be clean and oxygenated , because they come from bright and fast - flowing streams . they eat algae , including red algae and all kind of live and prepared foods . it is very rare that they harm plants in their tank if they are given enough green food . they also eat algae when they are mature , but seem to prefer flake food . liisa ' s fish eat duckweed (
) but have never touched any other plants . they haven ' t yet been bred in captivity , so all the specimens are caught from nature . it appears that the fish are seasonal and are not always available in the shops . minimum tank size for a pair of adult siamese algae eaters is 100 liters ( 25 gallons ) . the aquarium should be long and have lots of living plants .
as they are not aggressive , they can be kept in any community tank big enough . their active behavior might stress some sensitive species like dwarf cichlids and prevent them from spawning . they should not be kept with red - tailed sharks ( epalzeorhynchus bicolor ) unless the aquarium is large and well planted , because that species is very aggressive towards all its relatives .
this algae eating barb strongly resembles the siamese algae eater . it comes from the same region and at least young specimens can school together . these fish are often mistaken for real siamese algae eater and in finland it is common to see some specimens among a tankful of siamese algae eaters . it seems that the real siamese algae eater is a rarity in us , and the
false siamensis
is normally sold as siamese algae eater . more confusing is that many respected aquarium books ( e . g . baensch atlas , volume 1 , english edition ) present this fish as the siamese algae eater (
there is still some uncertainty regarding the true identity of this fish . markku varjo states that it is the siamese stone lapping fish (
at first sight this fish is just like the siamese algae eater , but they are easy to tell apart when you know what to look . the black horizontal band does not go to the fork of the tail but stops at the base of the tail and its edges are rather smooth . when the fish is frightened the black stripe fades to light grey . all fins except pectoral are yellowish and there are dark markings on the dorsal fin . the rays near the base of the dorsal fin are black and there is another dark band in the upper part of dorsal . there is a distinctive narrow light stripe over the black horizontal band and the dorsal region is solid grayish brown without dark scale edges . the top area is also slightly darker than siamese algae eater . sometimes bright red or pink is seen around the mouth but it might disappear if the fish is stressed . it has two pairs of barbels ( unlike the siamese algae eater ) . maximum length is reported to be 15 cm ( 6
) . no sexual differences are known , but the amount of red might depend on the sex of the fish . in the orient , these fish are called
colorful flying fox .
ironically ,
false siamensis
is more demanding on water quality than siamese algae eater . it needs very clear and oxygenated water , ideal temperature is 24 - 26 c ( 75 - 79f ) and the ph shouldn ' t get much under 7 . they eat some algae , but in nature they probably seek small animals from algae growths . in aquarium they eat all kinds of live and artificial foods . they have not been bred in captivity . minimum tank size for it is 80 liters ( 20 gallons ) .
can be kept in any community tank . adult specimens often get aggressive toward each other , so there shouldn ' t be more than one
false siamensis
in a tank . they might also harass related species and other small bottom - dwellers like loaches , if the tank is not big enough .
the flying fox is the most colorful of this fish group . for this reason , it has gained popularity in the u . s . over
and
false siamensis
. it comes from the flowing waters of thailand , sumatra and borneo . wholesalers sometimes deliver this species as siamese algae eater in finland . this fish is also known as trunk barb .
body and fin shape like two previous species . thin specimens are often pictured in the aquarium literature . the overall color is warmer brown or even goldish and the black horizontal stripe goes from nose to the fork of the tail like on siamese algae eater , but the part going through the tail fin in darker and broader . there is a narrow golden stripe over the black . dorsal , anal and pelvic fins have indistinctive dark bands and bright white tips . it has 2 pairs of barbels . maximum length is reported to be 15 cm ( 6
) . no sexual differences are known .
same as previous species . adult specimen is territorial and aggressive towards its own kind .
ideal ph is near 7 , temperature 24 - 26c ( 75 - 79f ) . it eats all kinds of live , prepared and plant foods . it has not been bred in captivity . minimum tank size 80 liters ( 20 gallons ) .
flying fox can be kept in a community tank , but it might chase other fish viciously from its territory . there shouldn ' t be more than one adult flying fox in a tank .
this is a close relative to siamese algae eater , and it is possible that specimens of this fish are sometimes found in schools of siamese algae eater or
false siamensis
.
body shape and color are basically same as siamese algae eater and
false siamensis
. all the fins are transparent and the black horizontal stripe does not extend to the tail fin . the stripe has smooth edges and the back is solid , not reticulated like on siamese algae eater . it has two pairs of barbels like flying fox . maximum length is 10 cm ( 4
) .
this algae eater belongs to family gyrinocheilidae , although it resembles both loaches and algae eating barbs . its english name isn ' t very accurate , because it comes from northern india and thailand , not china . it is also called the indian algae eater . there are still some unclear points in the systematic classification of this genus and it is possible that the species most often imported isn ' t
chinese algae eater is a bottom - dweller . the most prominent feature is a big suckermouth , which it uses for scraping algae and clinging to objects . there is a special opening on the upper part of the gill cover for the water intake so the fish can breath without using its mouth . this same feature is seen on suckermouth catfishes . the fish is light brown and there is a dark grey or brown horizontal pattern on its side , which can be either a zig - zag edged solid stripe or a row of separate spots or anything between these two . young specimens are more colorful . there are some dark patches at the back and small brown spots at the tail . all the other fins are transparent or slightly brownish . maximum length is 27 cm ( 11
) but normally it doesn ' t exceed 15 cm ( 6
) in an aquarium . females are larger and fuller , adult males might show spawning tubercles on the head .
it moves along all the surfaces of the tank scraping green algae with its suckermouth . older specimens prefer artificial foods and are rather aggressive .
chinese algae eater is not very demanding on water conditions : ph may vary from 6 . 0 to 7 . 5 and the temperature from 22c ( 72f ) to 28c ( 82f ) . water should be well oxygenated , as it comes from streams . it eats all kinds of foods , but must get enough algae or plant food . it is reported that it will stop eating algae if the temperature drops below 69 degrees f ( 20 deg . c ) . it has not been bred in captivity . minimum tank size 100 liters ( 25 gallons ) .
young chinese algae eaters can be kept in community , but adult specimens can be aggressive to other fish . they most often attack slow - swimming , flat - bodied fish and shouldn ' t be kept with them .
varjo , m . 1983 : levabarbi vai mika ? - akvaariolehti 3 / 83 : 16 - 19 .
petrovicky , i . 1988 : aquarium fish of the world . - arch cape press , new york .
mills , d . et al 1988 : tropical aquarium fishes . - tetra press , nj .
axelrod , h . 1989 : atlas of tropical freshwater aquarium fishes . - tfh , nj
riehl , r . and baensch , h . a . 1989 : aquarium atlas ( volume 1 ) , - mergus , germany .
smith , h . m . 1945 : the fresh - water fishes of siam , or thailand . bulletin 188 - smithsonian institute , washington d . c .
greek , gyrinos = tadpole + greek , cheilos = lip ( ref . 45335 )
freshwater ; demersal ; ph range : 6 . 0 - 8 . 0 ; dh range : 5 - 19 ; potamodromous ( ref . 51243 ) . tropical ; 25°c - 28°c ( ref . 1672 )
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 28 . 0 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 27732 )
has 9 branched dorsal rays ; 36 - 40 lateral line scales ; no dark spots on pelvic and anal fins ( ref . 27732 ) ; a small dark spot always present behind spiracle ; sometimes tiny tubercles on side of head and large tubercles confined to snout ( ref . 12693 ) .
occur in medium to large - sized rivers and enters flooded fields ( ref . 12975 ) . found on solid surfaces in flowing waters . mostly herbivorous , feed largely on algae , periphyton and phytoplankton , but also take insect larvae or zooplankton . in current , they hold onto fixed objects with their sucker - like mouth . for breathing , water is pumped into the gill cavity through a small spiracle and across the gills for gas exchange . large fish are sold in the markets , smaller ones are used to make prahoc ( ref . 12693 ) . aquarium keeping : needs plant feed ; adults territorial ; in groups of 5 or more individuals ; minimum aquarium size 60 cm ( ref . 51539 ) .
rainboth , w . j . , 1996 . fishes of the cambodian mekong . fao species identification field guide for fishery purposes . fao , rome , 265 p . ( ref . 12693 )
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 7500 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 00389 ( 0 . 00180 - 0 . 00842 ) , b = 3 . 12 ( 2 . 94 - 3 . 30 ) , in cm total length , based on all lwr estimates for this body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 2 . 5 ±0 . 25 se ; based on food items .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 24 of 100 ) .
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asia : known only from the kapuas , mahakam and kayan basins in borneo , indonesia .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 35 . 5 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 7050 )
dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 10 ; vertebrae : 39 - 40 . no spots on any of the fins . side of the head with very many parallel rows of small tubercles ( ref 13074 ) .
kottelat , m . , a . j . whitten , s . n . kartikasari and s . wirjoatmodjo , 1993 . freshwater fishes of western indonesia and sulawesi . periplus editions , hong kong . 221 p . ( ref . 7050 )
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01072 ( 0 . 00413 - 0 . 02777 ) , b = 3 . 03 ( 2 . 81 - 3 . 25 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this ( sub ) family - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 2 . 0 ±0 . 00 se ; based on food items .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 19 of 100 ) .
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urltoken
young specimen of the ornamental form known as ' marbled ' or ' piebald ' .
aymonieri : named in honour of french linguist , archaeologist and explorer étienne françois aymonier ( 1844 - 1929 ) , who collected or helped secure the type series while serving as a representative for the french protectorate of cambodia .
described from the mountains of samrong tong , kampong speu province , cambodia but is widely - distributed in the mae klong , chao phraya , middle / lower mekong and dong nai river basins in thailand , laos , cambodia and vietnam .
it’s often seen on sale under the trade names ‘indian’ or ‘chinese’ algae eater but does not occur naturally in either country .
inhabits flowing streams and tributaries with substrates of boulders , pebbles , gravel and sand , often in areas with submerged driftwood or tree roots .
the frequently clear , shallow water allows sunlight to penetrate the surface and the development of a rich biofilm covering submerged surfaces upon which the fish browse .
it’s thought to undergo seasonal migrations during which it can be found in deeper , more turbid water and may enter temporarily - inundated zones .
provided sufficient cover is available this species is relatively unfussy in terms of décor , and should not harm softer - leaved plants . however it will thrive in a set - up designed to resemble a flowing river with a substrate of variably - sized rocks , gravel and some larger , water - worn boulders .
this can be further furnished with driftwood roots and branches plus aquatic plants from genera such as microsorum , bolbitis , or anubias which can be grown attached to the décor . bright lighting will promote the growth of algae upon which the fish will graze .
like many fishes that naturally inhabit running water it’s quite intolerant to the accumulation of organic wastes and does best if there is a high level of dissolved oxygen and moderate water movement .
temperature : active over a wide temperature range of 60 – 90°f / 16° – 32°c . prolonged exposure to conditions towards either extreme of this range is not recommended however and this fish should be kept in a heated aquarium at 22 – 26 °c for general care .
primarily an aufwuchs grazer feeding on algae , small crustaceans , insect larvae , etc . , and for it to develop its best colours and condition it should be offered regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm , daphnia and artemia , along with good quality dried flakes , granules and fresh plant material .
shelled peas , cucumber , blanched courgette , spinach , and chopped fruit all make good additions to the menu , and home - made , gel - based foods using a mixture of natural ingredients are also highly recommended .
once settled it will often ascend into midwater to feed and in a stream - style set - up as described above will be seen browsing the biofilm that tends to form on the rockwork .
though normally sold as such this species is largely unsuitable for the general community aquarium . this does not mean to say it must be kept alone , rather that tankmates must be chosen with care .
while small specimens tend to hide away much of the time they become increasingly territorial as they grow and can display particularly high levels of aggression towards similar - looking fishes such as crossocheilus , epalzeorhynchos , or garra spp .
other bottom - dwelling fishes including cichlids and most catfishes are best avoided as they may be picked on it may even attach itself to the flanks of larger tankmates in order to feed on their body mucus .
for the upper levels choose robust , active cyprinids , characids , or similar . ideally it should be the final addition to the tank in order to avoid it claiming ownership of the entire space .
keeping a group is one way to reduce intraspecific aggression but at least half - a - dozen or more individuals should be purchased because they will develop a distinct pecking order and in lesser numbers weaker individuals are more easily targeted . it goes without saying that a very large tank would be needed in order to attempt such a project .
sexually mature females are noticeably thicker - bodied than males but it is impossible to accurately sex young fish . when in spawning condition adult males develop noticeable tubercules on the snout .
as far as we know it hasn’t been bred in aquaria but is farmed for the trade in large numbers with the aid of hormones .
this species is among the most well - known fishes in the aquarium trade but juveniles are typically being offered for sale with little to no information regarding temperament , eventual size , and potential age which can be in excess of 15 years .
wild examples are not currently traded , with all of those seen on sale produced on a commercial basis . there also exist several ornamental strains including albino , ‘golden’ , ‘piebald’ and ‘short - bodied’ forms .
the golden variety is sometimes subjected artificial dying , an undoubtedly painful process which involves injecting the fish repeatedly with coloured dyes and normally leads to a significant reduction in lifespan .
despite often being sold as such this species is not a loach although it was was initially considered a member of the former subfamily homalopterinae . the results of an investigation regarding its karotype suggest it to be most closely - related to the families cobitidae and homalopteridae .
there are currently three described species although neither g . pennocki ( native to the mekong basin ) or g . pustulosus ( borneo ) are normally available in the aquarium trade . the former is the most similar in appearance to g . aymonieri but is distinguished by the presence of dark spot - like markings in the fins .
the latter are used as secondary respiratory openings through which water enters and passes over the gills before being expelled via the principal gill opening . the mouthparts can therefore be used independantly for feeding and anchoring to solid surfaces .
they also lack barbels , further distinguishing them from similar - looking fish such as garra cambodgiensis , epalzeorhynchos kalopterus and laterally - striped crossocheilus spp .
tirant , g . , 1883 - bulletin de la société des études indo - chinoises . saigon : 167 - 173 note sur quelques espèces de poissons des montagnes de samrong - tong ( cambodge ) .
kottelat , m . , 2013 - the raffles bulletin of zoology supplement 27 : 1 - 663 the fishes of the inland waters of southeast asia : a catalogue and core bibiography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters , mangroves and estuaries .
rainboth , w . j . , 1996 - fao , rome : 1 - 265 fishes of the cambodian mekong . fao species identification field guide for fishery purposes .
how well do otocinclus catfish eat algae ? a little experiment from the den . . . .
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urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
, a mekong endemic . it is possible that the chinese record may be based on
the species has a wide distribution from southern china and southeast asia ( thailand , lao pdr , cambodia and viet nam ) .
populations have declined in some parts of its range ( e . g . , thailand ) as a result of over - exploitation . although considered threatened in china and viet nam , and perhaps naturally rare , it is assessed as least concern at present as it is not thought likely to have declined sufficiently across its range in order to qualify for a threatened category .
the middle / lower mekong ( thailand , cambodia , lao pdr , viet nam ( e . g . , the mekong delta ( electricity viet nam 2010 ) and the
and from the northern malay peninsula ( southern thailand , peninsular malaysia , and probably associated parts of the mekong drainage in myanmar ( mekong myanmar ( the mae kok , mae sai , and kengtung ) ) .
it is naturally rare / uncommon in china and southern viet nam ( mekong delta areas ) , but is locally common in viet nam ' s mekong tributaries ( the se san and sre pok ) and the chao phraya - mae khlong basin and the tonle sap basin . populations in thailand have declined ; it was an important component of fish sauce (
inhabits flowing streams and tributaries with substrates of boulders , pebbles , gravel and sand , often in areas with submerged driftwood or tree roots ( rainboth 1996 ) . it is thought to undergo seasonal migrations during which it can be found in deeper , more turbid water and is known to enter temporarily - inundated zones .
occurs in medium to large - sized rivers and enters flooded fields ( taki 1978 ) . it is a good indicator of stream / river quality ( c . vidthayanon pers . comm . 2011 ) .
highly commercial ; large fish are sold in the markets , smaller ones are used to make fermented fish products ( rainboth 1996 ) . found in the ornamental fish trade ; wild fish not often found , with most individuals from captive - bred sources , especially mutant ( albino - lutino ) forms ( c . vidthayanon . pers . comm . 2011 ) .
although the species may be impacted by dams , not enough is known about its migratory habits to predict the scale of impacts . populations have declined locally , especially in thailand , as a result of a range if factors , including over - exploitation .
more information on the species ecology , threats and distribution is required . listed as a protected animal in yunnan province in 1989 and considered endangered ( wang 1998 ) , and considered rare in viet nam ( huynh 1998 ) .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
this page will give a completely detailed profile of the selected fish , from a to z . the profiled fish will be chosen randomly by badman , and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish . new profiles are added on a regular basis . if you would like to submit a profile for the site please contact me . don ' t forget to let us know you experiences with this fish by filling out the
the very common algae eater . i believe it received this name due to its sucking disc . in my experience i have found them to be a poor algae eater . nevertheless they are an interesting addition to your aquarium .
long and cylindrical with a down facing mouth . the mouth has thick lips with many folds that form a sucking disc . this disc helps the fish feed on algae . it is also the basis of its common name . the dorsal fin is well developed with nine protruding soft rays . the anal , ventral and pectoral fins are all rounded . the caudal fin has a deep fork .
the sides are a burnt yellow , with a brown stripe running down the length of the body . this stripe is commonly broken up into spots . the eye is also yellow . the tail and dorsal fins may have some small spots at the base and the general coloration is clear . the back is brown . the coloration of this fish is not set and is quite variable .
little is known of the sexing of these fish . breeding has occurred , but only accidentally .
please remember that the following comments are personal experiences and may or may not apply to your setup . use them as guide to help better understand your fish , like us all individuals will behave differently under different circumstances .
i have two of these in my tank . i have a divider in my tank with adult fish on one side and babies on the other , and one on each side . normally i do my research before i buy anything , but i needed an algae eater , and i definitely did not want a plecostomus because they get way too big for my tank . i plan on upgrading my tank soon , but not as big as i will need for those guys because they get absolutely huge when you can keep them alive ! i talked to the representative in the fish store to find out some more information about other algae eaters and she recommended these . so far they do very well . they have been absolutely wonderful these last couple months cleaning up my algae and the one i have with the babies doesn ' t bother them at all . the one with the adults tends to hide a lot though while the one with the babies is a bit more active . i have neons , mickey mouse platys and guppies right now ( my 2 year olds tank ) . if any signs of aggression arise , i do plan on separating them out of my tank since i do have small fish , and these guys aren ' t adults yet so aggression may still happen . rich now though , i am very happy with my fish . fish !
over the years , i ' ve owned several tanks and each one had one of these guys . my last one , the cae was a bully , then i got a jack dempsey and once he reached maturity , he devoured the cae . currently , my cae is toeing the line in a tank with a breeding pair of convict cichilds . nevertheless , this fish is definitely not for beginners , as almost every lfs will say . please do your research before buying any fish !
i had one for seven years in a 55 gallon tank with 7 silver dollars , one angelfish , one pleco , and one red tail catfish . all of these except the angelfish lived together for the whole seven years . him and the redtail catfish mildly fought over territory for a couple of years , but eventually they came to some agreement and settled down . this was a very interesting and lively fish . i would not discount him in the right tank .
i ' ve had one of these fish for about two years in a community tank . its bottom feeder buddies are a clown loach , a pleco and two corydoras . the other fish in the tank are 8 neons , 4 black neons and seven harlequins . i also had seven platies , however , the platties were all wiped out by the same disease , which also carried off a black neon ( completely un - cae related deaths ) . my cae has reasonably peaceful , and never done much more than chase the odd platy or neon for a couple of seconds , and i ' ve got no deaths to blame it for . based on some of the other comments here though , i ' d lay that on being lucky enough to get a cae with a peaceful personality . still he ' s a healthy and reasonably good looking fish in my tank .
imo alison did the right thing and selected very tough tankmates for this ( usually ) very aggressive fish . i kept one when young and yes the small specimens destroy algae brilliantly , but as others have noted the aggression increased with size and was meted out to anything in range . a truly terrible aquarium fish , with only it ' s natural toughness to recommend it , along with the fascinating morphological adaptations ( spiracles as mentioned in the profile , and the lack of functional swimbladder , causing negative buoyancy - which is why they sink when stationary ) . ps - they are frequently sold for coldwater tanks - do not keep these fish with fancy goldfish ! the fantails won ' t stand a chance and that ' s not fair . . .
it ' s funny i didn ' t know about the cae bad rap until i had successfully owned one for several years . when i bought my cae i was relatively new to fish keeping and was sold the
community fish line
. normally i research everything like crazy . i guess i lucked out this time . my cae just died this morning at the age of 7 and was a joy to have . his tank mates for the last three years were a rowdy bunch of african cichlids . i only saw him make an aggressive move twice and both times a cichlid was stealing an algae wafer out from under him . once the wafer was surrendered all was well . i even have three cichlids that were born in the tank and lived to adulthood with him around . my
recipe for success
was a 37 eclipse gallon tank , extra air stone , enough rock to displace 7 gallons of water , about a dozen cichlids and a pleco . maybe i was lucky but he was a great little fish .
i have a 90 gallon aquarium . the only fish that i have noticed any aggression from is my chinese algae eater . his tank mates are barbs , cory cats , a red tail shark and a skunk botia . this fish has quickly grown and now wants to dictate the harmony of my aquarium . if this doesn ' t stop soon my cae will soon find himself in some ranchers cow trough .
i have had my cae for close to 5 years now . he started out in my 20 gal . once he was full grown he started attacking and killing my other fish . i kicked him out of that tank , needless to say . i have since put him in my 125 gal tank and he is now like a new fish . his current tank mates are angelfish , assortment of tetras , bristlenose catfish and a butterfly pleco . he no longer bothers any fish . his best friend is the butterfly pleco . they are always swimming together . if you don ' t have a big tank these are not a fish for you . i would say anything less than a 55 gal would not be suitable . the smaller the tank the more you will see them being aggressive .
as much as i ' ve read that caes are aggressive , the only aggression my cae has shown was toward my large silver white female molly . he never bothered anyone else in the tank except her . as soon as she got close , he would chase her around the tank ' til he was satisfied . after a couple weeks of witnessing this , i moved him the my 20 gallon with the 6 tiger barbs , and 2 danios . haven ' t seen any aggression since . i ' ve had him for nearly 7 months without any real problems or deaths because of him . so , all in all , aggression really depends on the fish ' s personality ( and possibly it ' s tank mates as well ) .
i ' ve had a cae for awhile now . i would really really not recommend them for anyone who cannot provide a separate living space when they get larger . they eat tons of algae when they are small but when they get older and larger their diets completely change mine now prefers
meatier
foods over algae or any other vegetable based food . and if you do plan on putting this fish with other species make sure it is fast enough to get away or it will be a snack to this guy / girl .
four words . . . these fish are evil ! ! ! when i had them they killed almost every fish in my tank . to anybody who does not know , when the cae sucks on the side of your other fish , your cae is actually eating that fishes body slime . ( which is a bad thing , body slime keeps your fish more resistant to disease and keeps them happier . ) i had to flush my cae before it finished killing the rest of my fish . i had a group of tetras , a cory cat , and danios with the cae . when the cae was finished with his bloody fish rampage , all i had was one tetra and one danio .
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we have two large iridescent sharks we are looking to find another home for . our tank is too small and they are very large . do you have a big tank ? do you know they can grow 3 - 4 feet ? where are you located ?
looking for medaka rice fish . what ever species you may have for sale .
i ' m looking to but a balloon kissing gourami . any idea where i can get one ?
if anybody out there can tell me why my little fish that i have had him for about 7 years now maybe longer but anyway all the sudden today i hear this noise and i . . . ( more ) angel8
the chinese algae eater is a workhorse when it comes to its job . . . eating algae !
is a one of the best - known aquarium fish . it is found in large areas of southeast asia and southern parts of china . it was first exported to germany in 1956 for the aquarium trade , but in its native countries , it is used as a food fish .
this fish is highly desired by many aquarists . though not the most beautiful fish , it is appreciated for its ability to keep the aquarium free of algae . as a youngster , it does a great job at that , but its dietary preference will change as it matures . adult chinese algae eaters will look for meatier foods such as small crustaceans and even the slime coating of other fish . adults will also start enjoying the easier foods supplied by their keepers . other surprising aspects of keeping this fish , besides its changing diet , include its size , the number of very similar
look - alike
species , and its personality with its tankmates .