Infestations by parasites that anglers call “anchor worms” become more prevalent in red drum during the winter. Lee Paramore, the NCDMF’s red drum biologists, said they do not appear to harm the fish.
“They are called anchor worms because of the way they attach and hang on,” Paramore said. “They are copepods, which are crustaceans like crabs. They may cause ulcers where they attach but are not a problem most of the time unless the fish is in poor health to begin with.
“Anchor worms may be more prevalent in colder weather than in the summer because the fish are less active in cold water, or maybe because it is the time of year the worms are reproducing. I’ve seen them on other fish — black drum, menhaden and other species — but they certainly do have an affinity for red drum.”
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