WARNING: The next post contains graphic photos of a necropsy. Not for the squeamish.
I lost my Tasseled Filefish overnight Wednesday-Thursday. To constipation, I think. What do you think?
At first I thought it might be egg-binding and had even bought some epsom salts in consideration of an epsom salt dip. Turns out that was an incorrect diagnosis and would have been the wrong treatment, as there were no eggs in the abdominal cavity.
I had also thought it might be constipation. And after the necropsy, this looks more like it. One main difference between this fish and the other Tasseled I still have is that this fish ate Nori and the other one does not. I had fed Nori the night before this guy showed the swelled abdominal area. I have read that the treatment for this would have been a few drops of cod liver oil into the fish's mouth. Obviously, I left it for too late to do anything other than monitoring.
Pictures......
Notice the protrusion at the anus.
The fish had attained a length of 6 1/4" from mouth to caudal penducle, 8 3/4" overall. It was the size of a quarter when I first got it. Had it for just over two years.
More pictures....these next two are the more graphic ones....