Mackerel Lice?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=79883
Printed Date: 09 Nov 2026 at 3:54am
Topic: Mackerel Lice?
Posted By: olibigoli
Subject: Mackerel Lice?
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 7:25pm
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Hey all, I have caught a few mackerel lately but they seem to have large lice (i think) in their mouths. Is this common? Can it still be eaten? I hear they are good smoked???? (The mackerel, not the lice)
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Replies:
Posted By: Finatic
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 7:26pm
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Yep very common.
------------- What's the cheapest type of meat? Dear balls. They're under a buck. |
Posted By: mowerman
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 7:27pm
| off hand travs can have them as well ( i think ) ? |
Posted By: olibigoli
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 7:34pm
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Well im glad its not just me then!! One even had two different types come out of him! I was put off eating them but still good to eat?
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Posted By: mowerman
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 7:48pm
| dont eat them send them to me ..yum |
Posted By: Heathrow
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 8:05pm
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yeah I wondered that too - the macs at the mussel farms in coro seem to all have a big crawly inside, big albino white lookin' things. Creepy ------------- Dat's roight mammy! |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 8:06pm
Big warning..throw the macks away or put in bait freezer and then stir fry the lice in wok ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: Telecaster
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 8:48pm
| Yeah I don't think I have ever caught one WITHOUT a lice in its gob. Doesn't hurt the fish as far as I know. |
Posted By: JAKE D
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 8:50pm
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yep very common is jack macs, piper, trevs, sometimes Kahawai. Harmless and doesnt affect eating quality at all.
if your interested to know they are just a parasitic isopod (related to sand hoppers) that grow inside the mouth. They eventually eat away the tounge of the host and replace the tounge with themselves, this way they get a portion of the hosts food without doing anything, pretty clever little things.
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Posted By: Bigfishbob
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 9:40pm
   ------------- www.waikatosportfishing.co.nz |
Catchelot wrote:Posted By: 1Daz
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 9:49pm
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Lol. fly lice. ------------- Go the Warriors! |
Posted By: Fletch
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 10:18pm
Thats fried lice. Plick
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Posted By: AndyK-22
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 10:21pm
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Posted By: fish i
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 10:22pm
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Symbiotic relationship
------------- 6th place in the inaugural Te Kauwhata Regionals paddle crab division |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 10:26pm
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Yes Oli as Jake D says very common in the mouths of piper jack macks & trevs yet on kahawai they live under the pectoral fins, yet most other fish dont seem to have them and I've no idea why. The fish will be fine, every jack mack seems to have on it its mouth. |
Posted By: BeachedAsBro
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 10:28pm
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I could be wrong but always thought that a symbiotic relationship was two way - ie benefits for both parties?
This nasty ******* doesn't seem to offer much in return to his host? ------------- Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish caught will we realise we can't eat money. |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 12:33am
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put the lice on a hook and you will catch another jack mac, sometimes even a snapper.... ------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing |
Posted By: Wanda_Ra
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 12:47am
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Had a mate who caught an fresh extra large kahawai and was hamming it up for some hotties on the beach, holding the kahawai up above his head and pretending to kiss it, a HUGE lice fell out of the fish's mouth into his own ... well you should have seen his reaction,i was laughing for about 5 minutes and so were the women. ------------- If you think you are too small to make a difference,try sleeping with a mosquito in your tent. |