Doctor fish, a name given to two species of hardy fish, Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus, found in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, can be kept in captivity in the aquarium. 

Doctor fish are used in fish spa resorts which opened around 2006 in various part of the world, including Japan, Crotia, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore etc.  The fish feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis, consuming only the affected and dead areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow. It is reported that some patients experienced complete cure of psoriasis after repeated treatments.  Despite this, the aquarium specimens are not really well suited for treatment of skin diseases, but only as a temporary cure for symptoms, since the skin-feeding behavior fully manifests only under environmental conditions where the food supply is somewhat scarce and unpredictable. 

In 2008, bans were imposed on fish spa services in certain states of US for safety and hygiene reasons. It is said that despite having rigorous safety protocol in place such as having a good filtration systems and ultraviolet light to kill bacteria in the water, there is no 100% guarantee to ensure that the fish will not carry the risk of infections from previous customer. In responding to the banning of such service, the Spa Association Singapore has said that banning fish-spa treatments is the way to go.  

Share your view with us if you have any thoughts on the banning of such service.

Meanwhile, have some fun and enjoy the youtube video below.