# Very strange creature in my freshwater aquarium  please help me ID this need to no if its a parasite or not. Thank you



## Tommythefish (18 Feb 2022)




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## hypnogogia (18 Feb 2022)

Not a very sharp photo, but the body reminds me a little of brine shrimp, except it doesn’t appear to have a tail.


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## sparkyweasel (18 Feb 2022)

Could be  an isopod, _Asellus _or similar. In which case it's harmless.
A better pic would certainly help if you can manage one.
Have a look here and see if it looks similar.
Asellus


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## Tommythefish (18 Feb 2022)

Nice one pal.


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## sparkyweasel (19 Feb 2022)

That's better, and the coin for scale is good.
I still think an isopod of some sort, _Asellus _or one of its relatives. Probably came in on some plants, maybe when it was tiny. Could be a foreigh species, depending on where your plants were grown.


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## Ria95 (19 Feb 2022)

Rather looks like a snail leech to me. Look up some photos and it would be easy to identify it in person.


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## Tommythefish (19 Feb 2022)

Nice one you beautiful people I very much appreciate your wisdom,  yh thought as much all my tanks are planted. Plants from  maidenhead aquatic.  Just to be sure it isn't a parasite and I can put it back in the tank.


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## Tyko_N (19 Feb 2022)

The dark pattern looks like a branched intestine so my guess would be some kind of flatworm, possibly a planarian but there are thousands to choose from. It's probably harmless unless you are trying to breed shrimps, and any fish big enough would happily eat it.


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## sparkyweasel (19 Feb 2022)

Can you see if it's got lots of legs?


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## Jaseon (19 Feb 2022)

sparkyweasel said:


> Can you see if it's got lots of legs?


Hang on.

Yup i can confirm critter in question has lots of legs.


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## sparkyweasel (20 Feb 2022)

OK, that rules out leeches and flatworms.


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## GHNelson (20 Feb 2022)

Looks like some sort of Nymph!


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## dw1305 (20 Feb 2022)

Hi all, 


GHNelson said:


> Looks like some sort of Nymph


Assuming they are legs (and I'm still not entirely sure), there are too many for it to be an insect (they have 3 pairs) which makes it a crustacean, and most likely <"_Asellus_">.

cheers Darrel


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## MirandaB (20 Feb 2022)

Zoomed in on the photo and for me that's a Snail Leech


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## dw1305 (20 Feb 2022)

Hi all, 


MirandaB said:


> for me that's a Snail Leech


That was my first thought and that the "legs" are the branching intestine. 



cheers Darrel


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## sparkyweasel (21 Feb 2022)

Oops, I though it was the OP confirming the legs. Can you get a good look at it @Tommythefish ?


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## Jaseon (21 Feb 2022)

I thought it was legs as well.

Im going with snail leech, and my decision is final


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## Tommythefish (26 Feb 2022)

Thanks fellow fish keepers.  @dw1305  that's exactly what it is. Very much appreciate. What can this beast no to my shrimp


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## MirandaB (26 Feb 2022)

Probably unlikely to harm shrimp although I can't say for certain.
I get some monster snail leeches in the river at the bottom of the garden during the Summer but they mostly seem to be feeding on detritus collected in the Nuphar leaves......or they might be hunting for snails lol


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## Tommythefish (26 Feb 2022)

@MirandaB That's a relief. Nice one pal , I put it back in a tank of its with some snails justing case. All the best.  Six Nations  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿


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