Injured pink streak wrasse

[soreefed]

Woke up this morning to a pink streak wrassevin really bad shape. I thought it was dead but it’s still breathing. The fish is in really bad shape and it looks like it has been attacked. Only other fish in there is a possum wrasse, but there is also an emerald crab.

I’m going to setup a hospital tank just to see if it can be nursed away from death.

Any thoughts on this severe body damage?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

With that much skin damage, the fish is going to have difficulty maintaining osmotic balance with the water. You can lower the specific gravity of the hospital tank to around 1.019 to help assist with that.

Uronema can cause similar skin damage, however, the missing bits of the caudal fin indicate that this was from tankmate aggression - most likely the other wrasse.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fish appears moribund at this point and may not make it as issues are severe and fish will likely not eat or swim normal from this point

 

[soreefed]

Thanks for the replies. My gut told me this was aggression as well. I’ve never seen the wrasse fight during the day, no chasing or anything like that, but maybe it’s different at night. I have seen some skin issues on this fish before but they would always resolve on its own.

I do feel like this fish is moribund, but it’s showing enough signs of life that I think it’s worth a shot.

 

[soreefed]

unfortunately it didn’t live long enough to even make it to the hospital tank. The look of the damage makes me think it was the emerald crab.

 

[MnFish1]

unfortunately it didn’t live long enough to even make it to the hospital tank. The look of the damage makes me think it was the emerald crab.

I would wonder whether the fish was ill from something else - and was then 'attacked' by the crab. I'm not sure that there is a lot of data showing that emerald crabs 'attack' a healthy fish - but I suppose it's possible. I would carefully watch your other fish. Sorry for the loss!

 

[Vested]

unfortunately it didn’t live long enough to even make it to the hospital tank. The look of the damage makes me think it was the emerald crab.

It was another fish in your tank, pink streaks are VERY shy and timid (probably one of the most timid fish I've seen). Just dealt with this personally, had to remove a damsel to stop it from killing the wrasse. Sorry for your loss but please find out which fish did this and remove it or don't add another fish like this.

 

[soreefed]

I would wonder whether the fish was ill from something else - and was then 'attacked' by the crab. I'm not sure that there is a lot of data showing that emerald crabs 'attack' a healthy fish - but I suppose it's possible. I would carefully watch your other fish. Sorry for the loss!

Totally possible that it was sick and then got attacked, but last night it ate fine and was acting totally normal before bed around 11pm. I just never see aggression from the possum wrasse and would be so surprised if it randomly decided to beat it up that badly. Overall my tank has been very peaceful in the last 6 months in terms of tank mate aggression.

 

[soreefed]

It was another fish in your tank, pink streaks are VERY shy and timid (probably one of the most timid fish I've seen). Just dealt with this personally, had to remove a damsel to stop it from killing the wrasse. Sorry for your loss but please find out which fish did this and remove it or don't add another fish like this.

There’s only a possum wrasse with it, and they’ve co existed since their introduction almost a year ago

 

[Vested]

There’s only a possum wrasse with it, and they’ve co existed since their introduction almost a year ago

Was the caudal fin that messed up the night before you saw it go down hill?

 

[soreefed]

Was the caudal fin that messed up the night before you saw it go down hill?

No it was in perfect condition last night. Not a single sign of distress or injury. I look at my tanks A LOT so I’m really on top of fish condition and interactions.

 

[Vested]

No it was in perfect condition last night. Not a single sign of distress or injury. I look at my tanks A LOT so I’m really on top of fish condition and interactions.

That would point towards your possum then even more, Uronema is not going to damage fins like that especially not that fast. If the emerald crab got to it after it died it could have done some damage but not that much imo and it definitely wouldn't have hunted your wrasse down.

 

[soreefed]

That would point towards your possum then even more, Uronema is not going to damage fins like that especially not that fast. If the emerald crab got to it after it died it could have done some damage but not that much imo and it definitely wouldn't have hunted your wrasse down.

Why would the possum randomly go into killer mode. They have swam like a pair for sometime now and not once have I noticed aggression or chasing.

 

[Vested]

Why would the possum randomly go into killer mode. They have swam like a pair for sometime now and not once have I noticed aggression or chasing.

I'm really not sure, maybe a maturity thing? I did assume you just added the wrasse sorry, it is strange. But personally agree with jay that signs point towards tank mate aggression. And that damage looks almost identical to the fin damage my damsel did to the same fish.

 

[soreefed]

I'm really not sure, maybe a maturity thing? I did assume you just added the wrasse sorry, it is strange. But personally agree with jay that signs point towards tank mate aggression. And that damage looks almost identical to the fin damage my damsel did to the same fish.

I agree it does look like aggression rather than disease. Ahhh I love pink streaked wrasse so I gotta try again. Those two fish got along for 8-9 months prior to this.

 

[Vested]

I agree it does look like aggression rather than disease. Ahhh I love pink streaked wrasse so I gotta try again. Those two fish got along for 8-9 months prior to this.

Such a cool fish I agree, goodluck!