Tasty flasher wrasse

[Ocelaris]

So I came down to a horror show with my lone flasher wrasse half devoured by some bristle worms and my cleaner shrimp. My question is whether a sleeping wrasse could be killed by these invertebrates, or was already weak or dying and was just being cleaned up? My mother said she saw the cleaner shrimp attack the yellow tang earlier, is this possible? The yellow tang is huge, but the cleaner shrimp is easily the same size as the flasher was.

This is one of the "hate" moments in reef keeping... I feel so bad for the flasher, as it was a new sleeping spot for him, and unfortunately near where a bunch of bristle worms live.

 

[Crabs McJones]

So I came down to a horror show with my lone flasher wrasse half devoured by some bristle worms and my cleaner shrimp. My question is whether a sleeping wrasse could be killed by these invertebrates, or was already weak or dying and was just being cleaned up? My mother said she saw the cleaner shrimp attack the yellow tang earlier, is this possible? The yellow tang is huge, but the cleaner shrimp is easily the same size as the flasher was.

This is one of the "hate" moments in reef keeping... I feel so bad for the flasher, as it was a new sleeping spot for him, and unfortunately near where a bunch of bristle worms live.

sorry for your loss
Let's ask the expert @Humblefish Any info on the subject? I wouldn't imagine a perfectly healthy fish could be taken down by a cleaner shrimp or bristleworm. Itd react to being touched or bitten and take off.

 

[ndrwater]

More likely than not, the wrasse was already gone, or very close to being gone. Almost never will things like bristle worms attack a living healthy fish.
As for the cleaner shrimp, same modus operandi. Rarely if ever.
As for the cleaner "attacking" more likely he was trying to do what cleaners do. Hop on, looking for dead skin, parasites, whatever.
Sorry for you loss nonetheless.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Bristle worms or cleaner shrimp would not kill a wrasse, they would eat the remains.

 

[Ocelaris]

Thanks, just had to vent, couldn't tell if the fish was dead, but after pulling him out it was clear he was gone. Sometimes nature is brutal. But that's what I suspected.

 

[Humblefish]

Let's ask the expert @Humblefish Any info on the subject? I wouldn't imagine a perfectly healthy fish could be taken down by a cleaner shrimp or bristleworm. Itd react to being touched or bitten and take off.

No scenario is impossible, but it's hard to imagine that a bristleworm could take down a healthy wrasse without a fight. Even if the wrasse was sleeping, he would spring into action the moment the bristleworm made contact.

 

[Ocelaris]

Yeah, I've never been one to malign bristle worms, but it's different when you see one of your favorite fish being devoured by them. I am wondering if the fish has been harassed more as my fairy wrasses have gotten bigger. In particular the flame wrasse had been picking on him, but I also haven't been as attentive lately and I may have missed some signs. I feel terrible for him, but he's been in the tank for over a year now, so not sure what did him in. Thanks for the support all.