Foxface killed Wrasse?

[Reef Wizard]

Good Morning,

I was in the process of observing a 3in foxface and 3in melanurus Wrasse. Both of them were doing great they were very buddy buddy. The melanurus was eating and sleeping in the sand and poking his head out in the mornings and then all of a sudden last night WITHIN AN HOUR. The wrasse was dead...

He was swimming very erratic doing twirls and spins and laying upside down breathing hard. I checked tank parameter's and ammonia was less than .1 Nitrates 8

After he died I examined him and there is a slash down the side of him. The slash is pretty deep I would not be surprised if it touched internal organs.


The thing is I'm about 80% sure this is what happened and its very sad.
The Melanurus would lay with the foxface alot and they would hang out together.

I just wanted to share and see if others agree this is likely what happened.

The foxface is doing great and the wrasse was doing great no sign of illness at all on either.


This picture is when he was alive still but you can see the indention of the slash.

 

[KQuillan]

Oh wow, so sorry. Is there anything else in the tank that might have done this besides the foxface?

 

[Reef Wizard]

Oh wow, so sorry. Is there anything else in the tank that might have done this besides the foxface?

The only thing else in the tank is a little mystery wrasse about 1.5 in long

 

[JayM]

Maybe UNWD ?

 

[Reef Wizard]

Maybe UNWD ?

I guess its possible but there is a cut on the side when there wasnt before

 

[i cant think]

Good Morning,

I was in the process of observing a 3in foxface and 3in melanurus Wrasse. Both of them were doing great they were very buddy buddy. The melanurus was eating and sleeping in the sand and poking his head out in the mornings and then all of a sudden last night WITHIN AN HOUR. The wrasse was dead...

He was swimming very erratic doing twirls and spins and laying upside down breathing hard. I checked tank parameter's and ammonia was less than .1 Nitrates 8

After he died I examined him and there is a slash down the side of him. The slash is pretty deep I would not be surprised if it touched internal organs.


The thing is I'm about 80% sure this is what happened and its very sad.
The Melanurus would lay with the foxface alot and they would hang out together.

I just wanted to share and see if others agree this is likely what happened.

The foxface is doing great and the wrasse was doing great no sign of illness at all on either.


This picture is when he was alive still but you can see the indention of the slash.

Whilst the possibility of the foxface slashing the wrasse is there, it’s unlikely going by the symptoms mentioned. ‘twirling’ and ‘spinning’ are not the normal symptoms of a sting. If a fish has been stung by a fox, they will often become very weak and not swim much at all whilst the venom circulates. They tend to lay there from what I’ve experienced.

On the other hand, the much more likely option that has occurred is a spinal injury. Fish often try to swim but become erratic and twirl round, unable to actually swim horizontally. This is often seen after they hit something hard (I.e. trying to jump but hitting a glass lid). I would say it could be UNWD but as he sounds like he has been with you a while I find UNWD is usually seen early on when keeping wrasses.

 

[i cant think]

I guess its possible but there is a cut on the side when there wasnt before

Watch that mystery, that genus is notorious for becoming nasty towards any other wrasse, especially in small tanks.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Watch that mystery, that genus is notorious for becoming nasty towards any other wrasse, especially in small tanks.

I did just get the Melanurus on friday. He was doing great then all of a sudden this happened.

He was laying there motionless until I went to net him that clip above is just a small section of his movement He mostly was laying upside down like in the picture.

The mystery has been hiding almost the whole time since I got him as well.

The 32g tank has my one spot foxface Melanurus (now dead) and the mystery wrasse.

Theyre all in observeration before transfer to my 135g

 

[i cant think]

I did just get the Melanurus on friday. He was doing great then all of a sudden this happened.

He was laying there motionless until I went to net him that clip above is just a small section of his movement He mostly was laying upside down like in the picture.

The mystery has been hiding almost the whole time since I got him as well.

The 32g tank has my one spot foxface Melanurus (now dead) and the mystery wrasse.

Theyre all in observeration before transfer to my 135g

Even in a temporary confinement, mystery’s may hide when you’re around but when you aren’t you’ll find there could’ve been aggression you didn’t know which likely sent the Mel into a spiral of jumping to get away.