Make sure you set out on the fjord early one morning to pull nets. Everyone on board is speculating about how many fish they will be able to catch this time. Down in the depths of the sea, you can see that the net lights up with every pull. But the dream of a fierce whiting, pollock or haddock for dinner dies when you see that almost every fish has been emptied of its contents. They are apparently exposed to complete liposuction. Only skin and bones remain. Lusa has eaten most of the fish. You can barely see her in the eye in the light. Photo: Lidvard Sandven / news A widespread scavenger Stein Mortensen is a senior researcher at the Institute of Marine Research. He says that roe louse, or Natatolana borealis if you like, is a common species along the entire Norwegian coast. Another name is bed bugs, which must not be confused with those you can find in the main bed. Egg louse is an isopod, i.e. an order of crustaceans. On a global basis, there are over 10,000 species of isopods, and 170 in Norway. Senior researcher Stein Mortensen reassures fishermen that roe lice are a common species in Norwegian waters. Photo: Anders Ekanger / news – The species I see pictured here is widespread along the entire coast. It is a species that is associated with wet bottoms and great depths, says Mortensen. Lusa is a scavenger, and is very efficient when it comes to removing dead fish from the seabed. Or in yarn. The senior researcher recommends not leaving the equipment lying around for too long, as it increases the chance of the fish dying and lice picking them up. – Then he just as easily goes after a fish in a net or on a line. The fish get into the fish through a hole or hole in the skin, and eat the fish from the inside. Mortensen does not think there are more of these now than before, and emphasizes that it is a common species. Egg louse can be up to 15 millimeters long. Photo: Lidvard Sandven / news Find lice during cooking It doesn’t have to take long before the roe lice feed on fish in the net. In this case it took 17 hours. They don’t always catch the fish. Mortensen says they have also received reports from people who have found lice while cooking. The roe lice have eaten a lot of this stickleback. Photo: Lidvard Sandven / news – For example, people who fish for cod with fine roe in the winter can find an isopod in the middle of the cooked roe, he says. – Is it dangerous to eat? – No, absolutely not. It sure tastes like crayfish. But you don’t expect to find a large louse inside the fish, says Mortensen.
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Roe lice feed roughly on fish in nets – news Vestland
