Help! White Worm-like Creatures/fungus On Upside Down Catfish

[kathnwes]

Hi,

I noticed today that my 2-year-old upside down catfishes have white things that look like worms hang off of them. Some are still very small and look like beard stubble and others are a little over a quarter of an inch long. I cannot find anything on the internet. I do not believe it to be anchorworm as it does not look like the anchorworms I have seen online or in a tropical fish magazine. I went to the fish store in town today (strictly deal in fish) and they said it may be skin flukes. I have seen drawings of fish with skin flukes that look similar, but all of the photos I have found do not look similar. The fish store said to use Mardel coppersafe, which I have, but my concern is if it is a fungus of some sort, I would not be addressing the problem. I have had these fish for two years, no new introductions to the tank in the last year, I do regular water changes, except for the last two months having been away taking care of a relative. 12-gallon tank, other fish are two pearl gouramis and one white cloud minnow.

Please help, I enjoy these fish and do not want to lose them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WILDER]

Anchor worm has a forked tail on the end, or you could be dealing with flukes.