What's this on my mandarin?

[MbmC]

What's this sticking out of the right side gills of my mandarin fish?

Fellow is still healthy, swimmingly well and feeding. Looks like a bone sticking out of the gills, but there isn't any actual wound!

[Thexder]

Isopod? Or some sand grain stcuk in the gills?

[MbmC]

That's what I was thinking. But I really can't tell.

Is this gonna harm the fellow in anyway?

Don't wanna lose him, he's a giant, about 3"

[yikai]

thats the bone. if u look closely at a mandarin, the sides of the gills have a long spine just like angelfishes. urs, the skin has torn, exposing the bone. because if its an isopod or smth, u will still be able to see the gill spine. but from ur picture, that white thing is clearly the gill spine. i think if u feed it well it should grow back, the skin. im not sure if it can grow back or not. perhaps u should ask henry. if its still feeding, i won;t worry. just keep an eye incase of bateria infection or some complications.

[MbmC]

Ok...so it is a wound! Now I'm wondering what inflicted that wound.

Guess I can't really do very much, catching it out for treatment is next to impossible, my rockscape doesn't allow for that. Gotta hope it can recover by itself I guess.

[yikai]

Ok...so it is a wound! Now I'm wondering what inflicted that wound.

Guess I can't really do very much, catching it out for treatment is next to impossible, my rockscape doesn't allow for that. Gotta hope it can recover by itself I guess.

actually. i have seen angels with the gill spine skinless and they still surviving. hope that it grows back. (:

[albinosage]

Wow Lemon, sharp eyes! I thought it was a grain of sand too, cos my mandarin always gets sand all over herself.

[teashyikai]

Wow Lemon, sharp eyes! I thought it was a grain of sand too, cos my mandarin always gets sand all over herself.

haha. lemon here! using another account as my com send for service. its not uncommon for fishes with gill spine to get it injured. they skin covering the spine is very thin...any trashing about can tear easily. ive seen this happen to alot of angelfish. but i think it will recover. not a major injury. watch out for infection though.

[jem]

i would beg to differ...

its an isopod..

isopods attack the gills, mouth or anywhere near the face area for fresh blood from the fish..

parasites loves to reside in fishes gills..

and from the pic.. the structure of the white stuff definitely looks like an isopod..

from the shell like backbone structure to the legs..

and mandarin fish wander around dark crevices or liverocks so their chances of getting a parasitic attack is high..

+1 for isopod for me

[teashyikai]

i would beg to differ...

its an isopod..

isopods attack the gills, mouth or anywhere near the face area for fresh blood from the fish..

parasites loves to reside in fishes gills..

and from the pic.. the structure of the white stuff definitely looks like an isopod..

from the shell like backbone structure to the legs..

and mandarin fish wander around dark crevices or liverocks so their chances of getting a parasitic attack is high..

+1 for isopod for me

looks like a damage gill spine to me. perhaps thredstarter, u should observe erally closely and take a good look at it. coz if its an isopod, or a damage gill spine, treatment course will be very different.

[ambystoma82]

does ur goby display any rubbing signs against rocks or anything???

erm i dun really tink is isopod mayb other parasite..

cus alittle too fat or e isopod leg to b,comparing on e scale of photo..

[albinosage]

Doesn't look like an isopod to me too, the part that's supposedly the legs are too fat and chunky. Looks like a bone or growth of some sort protruding from under the skin to me. Best for bro MbmC to observe it closer, shouldn't be a problem cos I see that somebody is using D200 with 200mm lens

[RevellClownfish]

maybe u shud use royal gamat jelly (sea cucumber jelly)If there a scar on my doter skin i used it on her and the skin recover..

[RevellClownfish]

yah2 i know i know ..No joke no fun..

[MbmC]

i would beg to differ...

its an isopod..

isopods attack the gills, mouth or anywhere near the face area for fresh blood from the fish..

parasites loves to reside in fishes gills..

and from the pic.. the structure of the white stuff definitely looks like an isopod..

from the shell like backbone structure to the legs..

and mandarin fish wander around dark crevices or liverocks so their chances of getting a parasitic attack is high..

+1 for isopod for me

Wow! Didn't realise this thread was still going on.

Been a month since I noticed this thing, and pleased to note that my mandarin still going strong.

Don't think it's an isopod, the thing does look like a bone, and it doesn't have any legs or feelers!

[MbmC]

Doesn't look like an isopod to me too, the part that's supposedly the legs are too fat and chunky. Looks like a bone or growth of some sort protruding from under the skin to me. Best for bro MbmC to observe it closer, shouldn't be a problem cos I see that somebody is using D200 with 200mm lens

Hasn't changed much in the last month, mandarin still happy.

You actually looked at my picture EXIF huh? My macro lens at my parents' place or I would have used my 105mm. But cannot be helped, had to use the 18-200 to take this picture.

[MbmC]

does ur goby display any rubbing signs against rocks or anything???

erm i dun really tink is isopod mayb other parasite..

cus alittle too fat or e isopod leg to b,comparing on e scale of photo..

It's not behaving differently from it's normal behaviour, so I don't think its a parasite of any sort.

[albinosage]

Hasn't changed much in the last month, mandarin still happy.

You actually looked at my picture EXIF huh? My macro lens at my parents' place or I would have used my 105mm. But cannot be helped, had to use the 18-200 to take this picture.

Yah, bad habit la, camera model voyeur. I think I should indulge in something healthier like beoing female models instead of exif data hahaha.

Glad your mandarin is still healthy. I am 90% sure that is the bone, compared the position of the white protrusion, it is at the exact same place my mandarin has a protrusion, but it is covered by skin.

[jem]

Yah, bad habit la, camera model voyeur. I think I should indulge in something healthier like beoing female models instead of exif data hahaha.

Glad your mandarin is still healthy. I am 90% sure that is the bone, compared the position of the white protrusion, it is at the exact same place my mandarin has a protrusion, but it is covered by skin.

hmmm

is it a normal occurance with mandarins?

[onizukaa]

if its feeding fine and is happy, hope its nothing serious. all the best!

[albinosage]

hmmm

is it a normal occurance with mandarins?

Actually if you see their face, they all have a protrusion there. Part of the anatomy, according to Lemonlemon earlier in the post, there is a bone beneath it.