Have you got worms???

[northeast1]

I have noticed this year that large numbers of cod have a type of worm i have not seen before in them, not in the gutt's but in the flesh, mainly around the belly skin or the tail end.

The worms range from 1/2" upto 2" and some are yellow and some are brown, i have never seen this before until this year. You can pick them out the flesh but if you leave the fillet in fresh water they crawl out.

Not very nice and i make sure all have been removed and the area they came from cut away but wonder how many are being fried up and down our coastline.

Anyway back to the question..is anyone else seeing this and know how or why it has just started in an amount that is well noticable.

Think i will do abit of googling about them.

[Hadji Kareem]

I got this from GOOGLE, hope it helps. Kev

"The'cod worm', which is often found in cod, is also found in many other species. Its scientific name is Phocanema decipiens; other outdated scientific names are Porrocaecum decipiens or Terranova decipiens. It grows up to 4 cm long in fish, and varies in colour from creamy white to dark brown. It is frequently found in the flesh of fish, particularly in the belly flaps, where it often remains for long periods curled up and encased in a sac-like membrane produced by the fish tissue.

The life history of a parasitic round worm is complex. The adult lives in the stomach of a marine mammal, Phocanema in the grey seal and Anisakis mainly in dolphins, porpoises and whales. Eggs of the parasite pass into the sea with the mammal's excreta, and when the eggs hatch the microscopic larvae must invade a new host in order to develop. The larval worms of Anisakis are eaten by a small shrimplike crustacean, a euphausiid; the first host of Phocanema is a small isopod crustacean that lives on the sea bed.

When crustaceans infested with Anisakis or Phocanema are eaten by a fish the larval worms are released into its stomach. They then bore through the stomach wall and eventually become encased in the guts or in the flesh of the host fish. The life cycle of the parasite is completed when an infested fish is eaten by a suitable marine mammal.

Large fish tend to be more heavily infested by round worms than small fish of the same species. This is because large fish eat more, and therefore ingest greater numbers of parasites, and also because the larval worms, although inactive, can survive for a long time in fish, and therefore their numbers accumulate as the fish grows older.

There have been cases of human illness caused by the ingestion of live Phocanema or Anisakis larvae in countries where raw or lightly cured fish is commonly eaten. By 1980, there had been only one reported case of illness in the United Kingdom caused by larval round worms from fish; this is because in the UK fish products are normally cooked before consumption. Phocanema and Anisakis larvae are killed in 1 minute at a temperature of 60°C or over. In practice this means that cooking a fillet 3 cm thick for 10 minutes at 60°C will kill any worms present. The temperature of a cold smoking process, for example kippering, is not high enough to kill parasites, but in a commercial hot smoking process a high enough temperature is usually maintained for long enough to kill them. Freezing of fish at - 20°C for 60 hours kills all worms.

Anisakis larvae are resistant to salting; immersion in 80° brine, 21 per cent salt, for 10 days will kill all larvae, but in brine of lower strength they can survive for much longer. Anisakis is also resistant to marinating. When there is any doubt about whether Anisakis will survive a process it is safest to use frozen fish. The ability of Phocanema to withstand salting or marinating is not known, but it is probably similar to that of Anisakis.

[northeast1]

Thats spot on and explains alot, seems like all them whales and Dolphins in out waters of late have made this species increase more then.

Lets blame global warming as everything else is blamed on it

[billyturbot]

just soak fillets in plenty of fresh water,the worms dont like it,we had a lot last year down hartlepool and looks the same this year

[codhw]

really interesting but bang goes me sushi Ill just have to fry everytime

[KeithB]

Nearly all the bigger fish have worms maybe that's where the saying "little fish are sweet" came from. For the table I'd rather have a 3-4lber every time.

[codseeker]

they carnt harm ya more protien

[northeast1]

I dont eat anything from the sea anyway so i am ok

[canman]

I heard many years ago that fish that ingest seal droppings contract the worms that way. I would imagine that every pearson who have eaten sea fish will have also eaten those worms They are also found in whitings, even small ones. Advice, skip the sushi.

[Hadji Kareem]

I'm pleased you said anyone who has eaten fish and not seal dung, mind you some of the places I have eaten............ makes ya think

[boatangler33]

I got this from GOOGLE, hope it helps. Kev

"The'cod worm', which is often found in cod, is also found in many other species. Its scientific name is Phocanema decipiens; other outdated scientific names are Porrocaecum decipiens or Terranova decipiens. It grows up to 4 cm long in fish, and varies in colour from creamy white to dark brown. It is frequently found in the flesh of fish, particularly in the belly flaps, where it often remains for long periods curled up and encased in a sac-like membrane produced by the fish tissue.

The life history of a parasitic round worm is complex. The adult lives in the stomach of a marine mammal, Phocanema in the grey seal and Anisakis mainly in dolphins, porpoises and whales. Eggs of the parasite pass into the sea with the mammal's excreta, and when the eggs hatch the microscopic larvae must invade a new host in order to develop. The larval worms of Anisakis are eaten by a small shrimplike crustacean, a euphausiid; the first host of Phocanema is a small isopod crustacean that lives on the sea bed.

When crustaceans infested with Anisakis or Phocanema are eaten by a fish the larval worms are released into its stomach. They then bore through the stomach wall and eventually become encased in the guts or in the flesh of the host fish. The life cycle of the parasite is completed when an infested fish is eaten by a suitable marine mammal.

Large fish tend to be more heavily infested by round worms than small fish of the same species. This is because large fish eat more, and therefore ingest greater numbers of parasites, and also because the larval worms, although inactive, can survive for a long time in fish, and therefore their numbers accumulate as the fish grows older.

There have been cases of human illness caused by the ingestion of live Phocanema or Anisakis larvae in countries where raw or lightly cured fish is commonly eaten. By 1980, there had been only one reported case of illness in the United Kingdom caused by larval round worms from fish; this is because in the UK fish products are normally cooked before consumption. Phocanema and Anisakis larvae are killed in 1 minute at a temperature of 60°C or over. In practice this means that cooking a fillet 3 cm thick for 10 minutes at 60°C will kill any worms present. The temperature of a cold smoking process, for example kippering, is not high enough to kill parasites, but in a commercial hot smoking process a high enough temperature is usually maintained for long enough to kill them. Freezing of fish at - 20°C for 60 hours kills all worms.

Anisakis larvae are resistant to salting; immersion in 80° brine, 21 per cent salt, for 10 days will kill all larvae, but in brine of lower strength they can survive for much longer. Anisakis is also resistant to marinating. When there is any doubt about whether Anisakis will survive a process it is safest to use frozen fish. The ability of Phocanema to withstand salting or marinating is not known, but it is probably similar to that of Anisakis.

very intresting

[tonynufc]

richy ive had loads of cod with those worms in them, most of cod i eat is left in the fridge for 24 hours before i eat them, i have spotted a few of those worms and i just pull them out, ive never seen any of them once the fish has been cooked.

[tooly]

Saw them in whiting about 4 yrs ago off H/Pool