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| In 2006, doctor fish spa ]s opened in ], ], and in ], ], where the fish are used to clean the bathers at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in ], ], as well as ], the ], ], ], ] from 2010, ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. In 2008, the first widely known doctor fish ] service was opened in the ] in ], and later in ]. In 2010 the first UK spa opened in ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Step-right-in--the.6139067.jp|title=Step right in – the Doctor Fish will see you now|last=Slack|first=Martin|date=10 March 2010|publisher=Yorkshire Post|accessdate=4 July 2010}}</ref>. They are used to help treat patients suffering from various skin disorders, including ] and ], since the fish will eat and remove any dead skin. The practice is banned in several American states and ] provinces, but is legal in ], with a few clinics in ]. |
In 2006, doctor fish spa ]s opened in ], ], and in ], ], where the fish are used to clean the bathers at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in ], ], as well as ], the ], ], ], ] from 2010, ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. In 2008, the first widely known doctor fish ] service was opened in the ] in ], and later in ]. In 2010 the first UK spa opened in ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Step-right-in--the.6139067.jp|title=Step right in – the Doctor Fish will see you now|last=Slack|first=Martin|date=10 March 2010|publisher=Yorkshire Post|accessdate=4 July 2010}}</ref>. They are used to help treat patients suffering from various skin disorders, including ] and ], since the fish will eat and remove any dead skin. The practice is banned in several American states and ] provinces, but is legal in ], with a few clinics in ]. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/mode/beaute/201007/08/01-4296469-piscipedicurie-inusitee-controversee-et-non-reglementee.php|title=Piscipédicurie: inusitée, controversée et non réglementée|last=Galipeau|first=Silvia|date=8 July 2010|publisher=La Presse|accessdate=8 July 2010}}</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 08:23, 2 September 2010
| Red garra | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Garra |
| Species: | G. rufa |
| Binomial name | |
| Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843) | |
| Subspecies | |
|
G. rufa turcica | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
- This article is about the freshwater fish used for treating skin diseases in Turkey. For the species sometimes called "doctor fish" in the UK, see Tench. For the fish known as the "surgeonfish", see Acanthuridae.
Doctor fish is the name given to two species of fish: Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus. Other nicknames include nibble fish, kangal fish, and doctorfishen; in non-medical contexts, Garra rufa is called the reddish log sucker. They live and breed in the outdoor pools of some Turkish spas, where they feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis. The fish are like combfishes in that they only consume the affected and dead areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow, with the outdoor location of the treatment bringing beneficial effects. The spas are not meant as a curative treatment option, only as a temporary alleviation of symptoms, and patients usually revisit the spas every few months. Some patients have experienced complete cure of psoriasis after repeated treatments, but due to the unpredictable nature of the disease, which is strongly influenced by endogenous factors, this may simply be regression towards the mean.
Garra rufa occurs in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It is legally protected from commercial exploitation in Turkey due to concerns of overharvesting for export. Garra rufa can be kept in an aquarium at home; while not strictly a "beginner's fish", it is quite hardy. For treatment of skin diseases, aquarium specimens are not well suited as the skin-feeding behavior fully manifests only under conditions where the food supply is somewhat scarce and unpredictable.
In 2006, doctor fish spa resorts opened in Hakone, Japan, and in Umag, Croatia, where the fish are used to clean the bathers at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in Hainan, China, as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Hungary from 2010, Slovakia, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Bucharest, Romania. In 2008, the first widely known doctor fish pedicure service was opened in the United States in Alexandria, Virginia, and later in Woodbridge, Virginia. In 2010 the first UK spa opened in Sheffield. They are used to help treat patients suffering from various skin disorders, including psoriasis and eczema, since the fish will eat and remove any dead skin. The practice is banned in several American states and Canadian provinces, but is legal in Quebec, with a few clinics in Montreal.
See also
References
- ^ "Search Results for: Garra rufa" (HTML). Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ Zicha, Ondřej (2009). "BioLib - Garra rufa" (HTML). BioLib. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- Slack, Martin (10 March 2010). "Step right in – the Doctor Fish will see you now". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- Galipeau, Silvia (8 July 2010). "Piscipédicurie: inusitée, controversée et non réglementée". La Presse. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
External links
- BBC News - 'Fish pedicure' a feet treat
- BBC Video - Flesh-eating fish used to treat feet
- Reuters - Turkish "doctor fish" nibble at Japanese market
- NPR - Flesh-Eating Fish Perform 'Pedicures'
- UK Guardian article
