Wrasse is not doing well

[Jmas4]

I just got back from thanksgiving vacation that lasted 2 days. When we got back he was laying on the sand with dull colors, ripped fins, and what appears to be a crushed jaw as if he rammed into a rock. He is a melanurus wrasse at almost 5 inches long, the largest melanurus wrasse I have ever seen. For the past few months his eye sight appears to have declined. He sees the food floating around but when he strikes the food he misses almost 9times out of 10. He was also resting on the sand more often. All my other fish are doing well. I have had him for 3 years, and his past owner, idk how long. I belive he is getting old which is causing him to lose his sight and agility which caused him to get his jaw and fins hurt on rocks but that do you guys think.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Have you noticed any signs of bullying? Maybe another fish is picking on him causing him to dart away and accidentally slam into a rock? @Humblefish Any ideas?

 

[Jmas4]

Have you noticed any signs of bullying? Maybe another fish is picking on him causing him to dart away and accidentally slam into a rock? @Humblefish Any ideas?

Nobody is bothering him. All my tangs and damsels never showed any aggregation to him.

 

[Jmas4]

How long do wrasse live?

 

[Maritimer]

IIRC, most of the wrasse we keep go about five years or so, so it sounds as though this fellow may already be older than just about any would get in the wild.

The jaw does look like an injury, can't say what might have precipitated it. It's possible that his tankmates are noticing weakness . . .

~Bruce

 

[Jmas4]

5 years on average. Could be old age. Surprisingly no fish is attacking my wrasse, but if something changes in ready to take him out.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Looks like old age. Fin and scale damage can come from parasites that his immune system would have been able to handle without issue if it wasn't so old.

 

[rlman41299]

Do you have a dsb? Looking at your pictures seems like you have crushed corals as your substrate. He might be stressed out and compromised his immunity by not being able to bury himself at night due to the crushed corals as substrate could also be the cause of his mouth being damaged for he is having a hard time digging when he needs to rest or stressed out. My melanarus loves burying himself om my 3" sand bed.

 

[4FordFamily]

Looks like old age. Fin and scale damage can come from parasites that his immune system would have been able to handle without issue if it wasn't so old.

 

[4FordFamily]

is it an accurate observation that the fish has a “dusting” on it?

Flukes can cause fun damage but the injured jaw may be due to bullying. Wrasse dart when scared and can injure themselves darting in to rocks, leaping out, etc. But it sounds like you may have an old melanarus wrasse. My longest lasting was about 7 years with me. Perhaps another year or two before I purchased it. It was about 6-6.25 inches.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I would also say old age. Looks similar to my christmas wrasse at the end of her life. She was over 6 years, but 5 is pretty good with most wrasses. So hard to see them age. But old age is a good way to die for fish. Well done.

 

[Jmas4]

Do you have a dsb? Looking at your pictures seems like you have crushed corals as your substrate. He might be stressed out and compromised his immunity by not being able to bury himself at night due to the crushed corals as substrate could also be the cause of his mouth being damaged for he is having a hard time digging when he needs to rest or stressed out. My melanarus loves burying himself om my 3" sand bed.

Yes it is crushed coral. I know that sand is better for wrasses but my wrasse didn't seem to bothered by it. He always buried himself with ease.

 

[Jmas4]

Update: It has been two days. He seems interested in the food I'm trying to give but it looks like he doesn't have the energy to eat. He was resting on the sand the whole day. I feel like his time is near.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Sorry.

 

[Jmas4]

He past away last night.
Thanks for the support guys.

 

[DeniseAndy]

If feel you.

 

[99gtbaby]

Sorry for your loss, sadly I found your post because my Melanurus is acting the same way, I know it’s old age as mine is about 5 years old now. It sucks to seem them slowly fade like this.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I had one in the same boat. Old age is hard to watch.