Gross Worms on a Channel Cat

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]You've already got your answer. Little leeches that are harmless both to the fish and to humans. They attach to the vascular fins to suck nourishment when the fish are idle during colder months...but may be found on them at almost any time of year.

Also...not a sign of pollution. May be just the opposite. Many aquatic invertebrates cannot live in polluted bottom strata. A good example is the stone fly.
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