I will try to simplify this for those interested in black spots of fish.
The spots are a part a several stage life cycle of this particular or unique parasite. Black spots on fish are a dormant stage 'cysts' of a tiny worm (aka trematode). A bird, often a wading bird, eats the fish. Cysts then hatch into eggs in the gut of the bird. Bird poops the eggs into the water. Eggs hatch into a tiny microscopic “bug” (miracidia) and penetrate a snail. In the snail the bug changes into a very tiny swimming critter (cercariae) that leaves the snail and then looks for or seeks a fish to penetrate / infect. In the fish the swimming critter becomes a tiny worm. The fish forms a black hard cyst around the tiny worm. When a bird eats the fish the cycle is repeated. Worm hatches in the bird and produces eggs and “around we go again”.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/05/18 10:30 AM.

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