Filefish with gas bubble inside of him

[DocSmiley]

I work at a fish store and we recently purchased fish from a wholesaler about 3 days ago. On one of the filefish i noticed a large lump on his side. The lump is soft to the touch. Feels like an air bubble. He was swimming around fine and eating for first 2 days. Now things aren't looking to hot. I dont know how much longer he will make it. I'm debating trying to cut him open and release it if it doesnt get better in the next couple of days. Any opinions?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Ah, when a fish is upside-down like that, it is often too late to do anything for it. Rather than cutting it open, you should try drawing off the gas or fluid from the bump with a syringe. Getting a syringe on a Sunday night is a bit of a trick though - do you know any diabetics?

Jay