Flagfin Angel--Injury or birth defect?

flameangel88

flameangel88

New member
I was at the lfs earlier today and saw this cute little Flagfin (FF) about 2.5" and she came home with me despite the head appears with an old injury or birth defect. I would like to hear your opinion.

Hope you can see as the clarity is not so good
IMG_8486.jpg


IMG_8485.jpg
 
It's a bit odd looking, can't decide whether it's an injury or deformity. She looks healthy though. Let us know how she does.
 
Reminds me of tweety. If you compare with other flagfins, it seems more like it was born like that.
 
Interesting looking Flag Fin. It doesn't look like an old injury. Maybe just a birth defect specific to your specimen. Good luck with it. What is it eating?
 
Thanks Jason. She's not eating yet and I've been trying to keep the tank dark for her to settle in. I only turn the light on last night to get a better picture. I put in some marine Cuisine this morning even if she doesn't eat it the hermits will.

I've to stop going to lfs otherwise I'll end up with another cutie.
 
LOL - he does look like Tweety.

FWIW, mine ate the small NLS pellets before he ever took frozen.
 
I have seen this type of injury (or birth defect) on lots of angels, I believe it is an injury or food deficiency while they are larvae, the reason I believe this is I have seen it in fresh just settled angels. It is most common in blue and queen angels here where I live, but I have seen it in black, frenches, and rock beauties as well, I usually don't collect them if they have it, but I have seen them in other collectors catches and in stores and it doesn't seem to affect the health of the fish. The only local angel I have not seen it on os pygmy angels, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that I have never seen it.
 
I have seen this deformity on many angels. I am quite sure that it is caused by being caught in a gill net and then slipping through or otherwise freeing themselves which cuts a notch out of their forehead area. It gives them a notch where the spines are cut off. I have seen it on many angels from a lot of different locations. Butterflys with the notched head are much less common. It often does not ever grow back normal, I have seen adults with the same notched head.

Dave
 
Thank you both for your valuable insights. I wonder where do all the wholesalers and online vendors unload those not so perfect specimens? I've seen one site where they specify Not Perfect or Need TLC selling for less than normal.

My big question is--does fish pick partners like we do? Can they tell defects? lol I hope the 4" Flagfin will take her in when I pair them down the road.

Does anyone have a pair of fish where one has injury that never healed or with birth defects?
 
In the ocean I have seen queens in groups and one will have the birth defect (or whatever it is) and the other fish don't seem to notice or care, I have also seen blues with the defect breeding with normal blue so again I don't know if they don't notice, but if they do they don't care.

I don't think it is man made if it is a wound, just because I have seen just settled larvae that have this deformity, at that size they are much too small to be caught in any sort of net, and they live in areas where gill and other nets are not commonly used, at least not here in FL.
 
Last edited:
philter4, thanks again for the info. I'm excited that I've another opportunity for pairing the 2 FFs I've now.


She ate last night on Marine Cuisine and Angel & Butterfly Diet soaked with Selcon and garlic and this morning I added freeze dried Cyclop-eeze.

She's in the tank with this guy which been buried in the sand since I added both in. I don't see much info on him but seem to be labeled with a bunch of different names online. One thing everyone seem to agree on is he will be big and need approx 300g tank and eat inverts. If anyone have info/comments please feel free to share. Thanks.

I hope I got ID right: Hologymnosus Rhodonotus
IMG_8489.jpg
 
Update

Update

Flagfin is doing well after getting her tail chew up by the bigger fish. Her tail is about 90% recovered and eating everything from frozen to flakes and pellets.

I've only seen the Rhodonotus once since intro a month ago and it came out tonight for just couple of minutes then disappeared again. I thought it was dead after not seeing it for over 3 weeks. It's really a nice looking fish but unfortunately it does come out more often.
 
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