Mystery fish death

medusala · Dec 1, 2012

Hey guys, I am trying to figure out what killed my new six line wrasse that I got just 4 short days ago. It was less than one inch long and was getting along fine with the banggai cardinal (~2 inches) and juvenile clown (~1 inch) that I have in my 10 gallon tank. I came home today and found it dead in the sand with a huge gash in its neck. I have attached a few pictures.

What do you think did this? I have absolutely no idea. My strongest suspicion is the banggai, but it didn't show any signs of aggression towards it before. I also don't know what a fish bite looks like. This gash seems pretty clean cut, right along the gills and jaw line, maybe too clean for a banggai bite?

Other possible suspects (I really have no idea):

Bubble tip anemone?
Relatively large hermit crab?
I fed the tank some live brine shrimp the night before the murder. Could those have eaten their way out? Seems very unlikely...
Maybe it nibbled some dried IC-Gel that I used to glue some corals down that messed with its insides?

Help me solve this mystery. I am sad. Thank you.

Aquatic Gardener · Dec 1, 2012

Maybe a crab hitched along on your live rock and got a hold of your wrasse

Connie · Dec 1, 2012

It could have died on its own. It looks to me like the clean up crew was in the process of eating him (dead tissue), starting with his gut. Normally, it is really, really, really hard for anything to catch a six-line.