JAN 10 1917 
AN ICHTHYOBELLID PARASITIC ON SAND WHITING. 
: . | 1 
On an Iehthyobdellid parasitic on the Australian 
Sand Whiting (Sillago ciliata). 
By 
CBiarles Badtiani, B.Sc., 
Junior Demonstrator in Zoology, University of Sydney. 
With Plates 1 and 2, and 6 Text-figures. 
Introduction. 
In August, 1912, during a visit to the Fish Hatcheries- 
Institution, Port Hacking, an inlet south of Port Jackson, 
Hew South Wa’es, my attention was called to a parasite 
which, I was informed, had for some time past caused the 
death of sand whiting kept in a large spawning pond. An 
examination of this parasite showed it to be a marine leech. 
The history of the infestation, so far as I have been able to 
ascertain, is as follows. 
It has been the custom for some years past to stock a large- 
sea-water pond of the Institution with two or three dozen 
sand whiting taken from the shoals in the vicinity. This 
appears to have been done several times, and on each occasion 
the fish were killed by the attacks of these leeches. 
The fish, shortly after being placed in the pond, sickened,, 
developed large ulcerated patches on their integument and 
died. Within ten weeks of being introduced into the pond 
most of the fish would be in a moribund condition. 
It was easy to know when the fish were seriously affected, 
for then they would swim very close to the surface* and on 
their sides. An examination of a badly infested fish usually 
VOL. 62, PART 1. NEW SERIES. 1 
