Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Blue gill meat with black specks

bthompson1004

Member
1,238
100
NWOhio!
I wish I had a picture of what I saw but I couldn't get to my phone when I was cleaning them...

Has anyone ever heard of or seen blue gill meat with tiny black specks in it...looks almost like poppy seeds stuck inside the meat...What is it? Is it not good to eat anymore?

Thanks for any and all assistance on this one. I'm thrown for a loop here.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
The black specs that you see are from the BLACKSPOT FISH PARASITE it comes from birds like the Kingfisher and is deposited in water from feces which find a host which is snails and then when mature they are shed and go back into the water and then find the host fish and burrow into them and that is where the black cyst walls in the fish meat come from. It doesn't sound good but when cooked does no harm to the person consuming them, so eat away.

(Additional find)
"Black spot disease is commonly observed in rock bass and other sunfish, bass, pike, perch, minnows, and other fish species. It can be identified by the presence of small black spots, usually about the size of a pin head, in the skin, the fins, the musculature, and the mouth of the fish. The black spots are caused by pigment that the fish deposits around the larval stage of a parasitic digenetic trematode, usually a Neascus spp.

The lifecycle of the "black spot" parasite is complex. The adult parasite is found in a fish eating bird, the kingfisher. The larval parasite is transferred from the infected fish to the bird during the feeding process. In the kingfisher, the larval stage develops into an adult parasite. The adult parasite in the intestine of the bird produces eggs that are eventually deposited in the water. There the eggs mature, hatch, and develop into the miracidium stage of the parasite. The miracidium infects a snail. In the snail, the miracidium develops into the cercaria life stage. The cercaria leaves the snail and actively penetrates a host fish. In the fish, the parasite becomes encysted. In about 22 days, black spots form around the cyst. This entire lifecycle takes at least 112 days to complete.

In general, the presence of the "black spot" parasite does not affect the growth or the longevity of the infected fish; however massive infections in young fish may cause fish mortality. The parasite is incapable of infecting humans and, as is the case with all fish parasites, it is destroyed by thorough cooking."
 

triple_duece

Ragin Cajun.
9,126
159
Saltwater fish have worms in them also. If they are big I push them out w my finger. If small they get fried or cooked however the method of the days is. You consumed plenty if you eating out, trust me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sgt Fury and Mike

Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
I had one white perch I caught this year that had small black spots in the fillet. I. Googled it and found it was a parasite. Cooking takes care of them but with all of the perch I caught, I figured why chance it and tossed them. I’ve caught black drum in the bay (up to 80 pounds) and almost all of them have cysts in them that contain a long white worm. Like TD said, you can remove them when you see them, or they’ll actually exit the fillet while cooking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: giles