Bicolor blenny needle-like spikes

[slobodan]

Hi, I noticed some weird, needle-like white spikes on the back right side of my bicolor blenny. It’s active and it eats well.

Yesterday I saw it going after its tail once (I monitored it as it did that and scratched when I had issues with flukes 6+ months ago; no repeats this time, and no scratching). And today I saw these white things (like very thin urchin needles) on the same spot. It’s active, and I tried feeding the fish to see if it eats (video attached).

No other fish are affected (2 clowns, royal gramma, watchman goby, and a mandarin fish).

No new fish additions (the last one was a tank-bred mandarin goby months ago). I added some cyphastrea frags 3 weeks ago and I moved some of my corals in the meantime.

Can someone help me identify the problem and tell me what I should do to solve it?

Videos (not great):
- Blenny issue:
- Feeding time:


Thanks as always!

 

[Sharkbait19]

I can’t really make anything out in the video. Could you try to get a closeup photo?
It’s possible that you’re seeing bristle worm bristles stuck to the fish. Given that these guys dart in and out of rocks it’s always possible it got hit by one.

 

[slobodan]

I can’t really make anything out in the video. Could you try to get a closeup photo?
It’s possible that you’re seeing bristle worm bristles stuck to the fish. Given that these guys dart in and out of rocks it’s always possible it got hit by one.

I do have many bristle worms, and it does look like their bristles.

This guy is fast, so it's hard to take a good photo. Here are a few best I managed to take:

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi, I noticed some weird, needle-like white spikes on the back right side of my bicolor blenny. It’s active and it eats well.

Yesterday I saw it going after its tail once (I monitored it as it did that and scratched when I had issues with flukes 6+ months ago; no repeats this time, and no scratching). And today I saw these white things (like very thin urchin needles) on the same spot. It’s active, and I tried feeding the fish to see if it eats (video attached).

No other fish are affected (2 clowns, royal gramma, watchman goby, and a mandarin fish).

No new fish additions (the last one was a tank-bred mandarin goby months ago). I added some cyphastrea frags 3 weeks ago and I moved some of my corals in the meantime.

Can someone help me identify the problem and tell me what I should do to solve it?

Videos (not great):
- Blenny issue:
- Feeding time:


Thanks as always!

The video kept focusing in and out likely from camera movement. I cant see spikes but did in the still pics and my suspicion would be contact with a bristleworm. If so, they will slowly come off fish

 

[slobodan]

Blenny is moving too fast, and my phone can’t keep up with the focus that fast. Even photos under intense white light are not great.

Thanks, both of you!