Clown fish has problem with mouth

[hyde]

Lee,

I hope this is simple to diagnose for you. Nobody I know can tell me what is the problem. Attached are some pics of one of my oscellaris clownfish. It was fine last night and today I came home to find him with his mouth stuck in an open position and not eating. Please look at these pictures:

[hyde]

BTW, there are two other oscellaris in the tank that have apparently paired. Could this have been caused in a skirmish?

Than k you for your help...

[leebca]

The mouth area has a minimal inflammatory response going on. It could be from injury, or it may be that the fish has tried to bite or eat something that has injured the fish. How long did it take for you to see this? Has this fish been like this for a while? How long?

In general, unless the tank is very large, a mated pair will make life miserable for the unmated fish.

Check to be sure there is nothing in the tank that may harm the fish (including invertebrates, corals, fishes, etc.). I would monitor the fish closely the next two-three days and verify it is healing. If it isn't healing and looking more normal, a treatment with an antibiotic will be advisable.

[hyde]

Thanks Lee, looks like he recovered completely... Must have been an injury.

Cheers,

John D.

[cephcrazy]

my clown fish has the same problem, and after researching, i found many other cases, but no definitive solutions, or causes. from my research i think there's a link between ich or introducing new fish.does anyone have more recent information. please help.

[leebca]

I have seen a pattern over the decades. When a marine system has been well established and the fishes within have not had a change of inhabitants, the introduction of a new fish (or almost any marine life) causes a shift in the bacterial population.

An undisturbed system has settled down as far as what kinds of, and the numbers of bacteria. The fact is, these systems are not a piece of the ocean or sea like we sometimes imagine. Instead they are their own ecosystem. A system that is established has stabilized (in microbial life). This is very good for the fish and hobbyist alike. But over time, the fish lose some of their defenses to the other natural microlife forms.

But the entry of a new specimen brings with it new or different bacteria. The old bacteria population makes an adjustment and moves towards stabilization again, BUT the fishes in the system are now confronted with new bacteria. Over the weeks or months, these fishes have not been exposed to the new bacteria and their defenses towards them are 'down.' So while the bacteria work out which ones will rule, the fish have to contend with maintaining their health in the face of the new bacteria.

Sometimes, little happens. Other times fish become infected. In between evidence include some flashing and dashing, without any other symptoms.

So when you mention the introduction of new fish, I'm assuming they have been quarantined properly. If they haven't, then the introduction of new fishes can bring with them a very large group of foreign bacteria.

You can replace the word bacteria above with virus or microbe.

The above is what I have learned from growing bacterial cultures of the water, and fish observation, and opinion.

[hyde]

Lee,

I found something you may find interesting. Looking around Reef Central forums, I found the issue of the clown with locked mouth in two threads (here's one Reef Central Online Community - Lockjaw). Additionally, at least one other with the same experience had contributed as well in one of those. Interestingly enough, the one common factor to all is that our clowns were starting to use a frogspawn as host. Apparently the fish were stung. What do you think?

[leebca]

A swollen set of lips on a fish can create difficulty in closing the mouth. However, there is another condition of the jaw truly locked into the open position among Anemonefishes. These two conditions are different. So the thread and dialog in other places may be mixing the symptom with at least two different causative agents.

The condition when the jaw is actually locked into the open position is known as jaw hyperextension, it is most common in fishes that feed on aufwuchs (algal turfs and their associated micro-fauna), and is caused by the locking of a bone called the urohyal into the cleithra. In this case, the condition is relieved by the hobbyist actually performing a corrective physical action on the bone. Such a process can permanently deform the fish.

So, one has to be careful about exactly what is causing the mouth to be in such a position.

A sting from a polyp can certainly be enough to cause the swelling and hence the animal's difficulty in closing the mouth. But it is more of the mouth being unable to naturally close due to the inflammation/swelling, rather than jaw hyperextension which is commonly thought of as the jaw locked in the open position.

[samong27]

Hey guys I have a question, my percula clown fish has something on his mouth, when I first saw it, it was just like a beard then after few days it suddenly became like the bacteria is already eating his mouth. His mouth has a slash under on it. Because when I look at him I feel bad because I know he is suffering from tha pain! (( Thank you! Pls help me pls!

[wstadnick]

Just to give you a head start, it will help if you list what you have in your tank / size of tank, inc fish, corals, substrate. And if there been any tension/fights between any of the fishes.

Also do you have a quarantine tank setup?