Not sure what this is on my Gramma

vtecintegra · Aug 8, 2022

Adult Gramma. This fish has been acting weird for a year. Would never come out of the rock, until one day it was hanging at the top in distress. Now days it lays on the bottom, sometimes on its side, sometimes upside down like it's dead, and I saw something on the side. I moved it out to quarantine. It's had multiple treatments of Prazi. I suspected flukes due to another gramma that was scratching, but I had a DNA test done and it showed no parasites in my tank. Anyway, not sure what this growth is. Any ideas?

vetteguy53081 · Aug 8, 2022

vtecintegra said:
Adult Gramma. This fish has been acting weird for a year. Would never come out of the rock, until one day it was hanging at the top in distress. Now days it lays on the bottom, sometimes on its side, sometimes upside down like it's dead, and I saw something on the side. I moved it out to quarantine. It's had multiple treatments of Prazi. I suspected flukes due to another gramma that was scratching, but I had a DNA test done and it showed no parasites in my tank. Anyway, not sure what this growth is. Any ideas?

Pic very fuxxy but looks like Asterina starfish. Get rid of it before it multiplies and heads fior your corals

Jay Hemdal · Aug 8, 2022

vtecintegra said:
Adult Gramma. This fish has been acting weird for a year. Would never come out of the rock, until one day it was hanging at the top in distress. Now days it lays on the bottom, sometimes on its side, sometimes upside down like it's dead, and I saw something on the side. I moved it out to quarantine. It's had multiple treatments of Prazi. I suspected flukes due to another gramma that was scratching, but I had a DNA test done and it showed no parasites in my tank. Anyway, not sure what this growth is. Any ideas?

That isn’t a fluke (or an asterina). It is most likely an internal fungal infection that has erupted onto the surface of the fish. Sorry, but it isn’t readily treatable. I had one case that I was able to cure with daily 75 ppm formalin dips for 3 days, but in that case, it wasn’t growing from a vital area like this one is.
Jay