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Show Flatworms plague Cutthroat A very small flatworm larvae, called the eye fluke, has plagued cutthroat trout in Strawberry Reservoir for many years. But the problem has not been as serious during the past year, according to Charles Thompson, a fisheries biologist with the Division of Wildlife Resources. "The irony," says Thompson, "is that we're not sure why. We may just be looking at a natural low in the population of the parasite." The fluke infects the eye, particularly the lens, of several fish species. Normally Nor-mally according to Thompson, Thomp-son, eyesight is impaired and trout may change their diet, but anglers still catch the fish-often not noticing the characteristic white of the lens of the eye. The life cycle of the eye fluke, says Thompson, also includes aquatic snails and the intestines of fish eating birds. Dr. Richard Heckman of Brigham Young University is studying the problem with state wildlife biologists. |