Gulf Toadfish

[Mental1]

I rescued a Gulf Toadfish from a local Petco. He had been given to them by a customer who could not get him to eat. They are not allowed to feed live and had him for 2 weeks. So I don't know how long he went hungry for. I put him in a 75g sump which had some small feeder fish in it and a reef lobster.

I was looking at him last night -- which is hard to do with this tank and saw some white spots on him. I got the net out and got him to come closer and it looked like injuries. I realized that the devil "reef safe" lobster was taking chunks out of him -- he is very sedentary. I never see him eat but he did consume the 3 feeders and grass shrimp are never there the next morning.

So here's my question. The injuries looked mostly white with a little but of pink in the center. I am assuming the white means they are healing. I am also assuming leaving him alone at this point is the best idea. I did move him into another tank where is is alone and away from my little reef safe lobster.

Anyone ever kept one of these guys? They are not very attractive or interesting at all but I do like his little beard. He shows no interest in anything -- even live food when I am present. I watched shrimp crawl all over him and he did not move.

 

[FMarini]

they are also venomous and toxic--BTW
if unduly stressed many will secrete a toxic mucus which has been shown to wipeout tankmates and their dorsal and opercular spines possess venom glands-- so careful how you grab it

 

[jarrod13]

I have an orange toadfish, I think their from the Atlantic though. He's one of my favorite fish. I'm really suprised he won't eat, mine is the most aggressive eater of all my scorpions, he also weaned onto the stick very quickly. They like to dig so make sure there's plenty of substrate for him. They also do not come out a lot, he's usually sitting in a barnacle or one of his holes with his head sticking out, and as soon as he spots me he flys out to the front of the glass begging like crazy.
Is the one you have the brown morph?

 

[jarrod13]

And I think their very interesting, the the first fish we sent into space, supposedly the extremely hardy, do a google search on them and read some articles, I think you will change your mind about the interesting part

 

[Mental1]

Actually nothing I have read on these guys indicate that -- in fact one article said they are non-venumous??? So I am confused -- it is a Opsanus beta -- is that what you are thinking Frank? The Petco guys grabbed him and did not get stung -- lucky maybe?

 

[jarrod13]

+1 for venOmous, no touching!!!!

 

[Mental1]

He is brown and I actually think he is cute. Many would find him ugly and boring. He is not the same as the orange toadfish -- I think they are different. I have googled them but this is what I find ( the picture shows it orange though not sure why:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/gulftoadfish/gulftoadfish.html

 

[Mental1]

Is fishbase reliable -- they also say non-venumous

http://www.fishbase.us/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=3067

 

[jarrod13]

I don't have time to research right now but if I remember correctly I think their just collected from different ares, but I'm not 100%. that's exactly what mine looks like except his whe body is the bright orange like the head in that picture. I hope you can get him to eat, I'm sure once he settles in he'll be fine

I want to see pics!!

 

[jarrod13]

I got the same thing, some places say venomous and some not, but as short as his spines are, if he is I'm sure it's pretty nasty, I'm not taking any chances at all

 

[Mental1]

Jarrod -- Mine has no orange at all. He is simply a brown mottled color easily mistaken for a rock. I have had him for at least a month and he must be eating because the "food" in his tank disappears! Picture will be very difficult at this point as he has found a way to squeeze himself completely under the rock in the tank he is in now. I could not see him at all this morning! I will try. I just hope the injuries heal ... bad lobsta. I will make sure his life is stress free though! But he is not an enthusiastic feeder at all. The LFS has an orange one too and he says the same thing -- very personable. This guy play rock really really well.

 

[liverock]

Jarrod -- Mine has no orange at all. He is simply a brown mottled color easily mistaken for a rock. I have had him for at least a month and he must be eating because the "food" in his tank disappears! Picture will be very difficult at this point as he has found a way to squeeze himself completely under the rock in the tank he is in now. I could not see him at all this morning! I will try. I just hope the injuries heal ... bad lobsta. I will make sure his life is stress free though! But he is not an enthusiastic feeder at all. The LFS has an orange one too and he says the same thing -- very personable. This guy play rock really really well.

Hi Yall

have collected thousands of them since the 70's....most are brown as yours...however right off of Tampa we get a totaly ORANGE one...is sooooo cool...and pretty rare these days...I used to get zillions o0f the in the 70-80's...but not so many now


I can tell you what they eat.....your fingers in a glove while harvesting aquacultured live rock ...little buggers!

but not harmful...no toxins...just a wakeup!

they will eat ANYTHING when presented...after they acclimate

sea ya
Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com

 

[Recty]

One of the articles mentioned that barracuda are natural predators of these fish, I hope you dont plan on keeping barracuda with this fish!

 

[Mental1]

Hi Richard! Been almost 4 years since I bought some rock from you. I still have some of the corals going too. He is hiding completely tonight -- when he gets more comfy maybe he will show his little bearded face again. So you have seen the numbers drop off a lot? That's too bad. As I mentioned -- I have never seen him eat in the month I have had him.

Recty -- it's only a 55g so I think a barracuda is a no-no.

 

[FMarini]

well maybe its species specific, but there are a handful of threads out here suggesting that a number of toadfish are venomous & release toxic slimes.
I have read a whitelined toadfish, Sanopus greenfieldorum wiped out an entire fishsystem after it was provoked by a veterinarian during a checkup. Also a Humming toad and osyter toadfish both wiped out holding tanks after collections in public aquaria.
Numerous articles in the literature, and in scott michaels reeffish V1 suggest these fish possess venom in their dorsal and opercular spines. Infact myotxin was isolated from the toadfish Thalassophryne, and ichthytoxin from the osytertoad(Opsanus tau)

 

[liverock]

well maybe its species specific, but there are a handful of threads out here suggesting that a number of toadfish are venomous & release toxic slimes.
I have read a whitelined toadfish, Sanopus greenfieldorum wiped out an entire fishsystem after it was provoked by a veterinarian during a checkup. Also a Humming toad and osyter toadfish both wiped out holding tanks after collections in public aquaria.
Numerous articles in the literature, and in scott michaels reeffish V1 suggest these fish possess venom in their dorsal and opercular spines. Infact myotxin was isolated from the toadfish Thalassophryne, and ichthytoxin from the osytertoad(Opsanus tau)

Very interesting....they do slime when messed with...but this particular critter..not toxic I think....as have been messing with them for 30 years...and no ill effects to the system...but.....they do know how to BITE!

Richard TBS:lolspin::lolspin::lolspin:

 

[Mental1]

Well, as always I guess toadfish can apply to multiple fishes with different characteristics. I saw him tonight in his new tank and now know where he is hiding. He goes up inside the rocks so I can see how you would get bitten by one when you are collecting rocks Richard! I did get a look at the wounds and they seem to be healing. Plan on dumping a bunch of food in over the next few days so he should be a happy boy. I will try and get a picture ..

 

[Mental1]

Update on the toady. Several weeks ago I was looking at him and noticed something white on his back. Much to his frustration I pulled him closer with a net to take a look. What I saw looked like injuries and in a flash of brilliance I realized that my little devil reef lobster had gotten his pincers into him. I had been housing a mandarin in another tank in the system so decided he would make a premature entrance into the 180 ... like about 5 minutes after I discovered the injuries, and I moved the toadfish into that tank.

I actually think he is happier there as it is filled with macroalgae and rock and he can hide really well. I dump feeders and grass shrimp in but I never see him eat. But the shrimp disappear. Some of the feeders have figured out there is a monster in the tank and hang where he cannot get them but he has eaten some ... I assume.

Anyway, I barely ever see him, I never see all of him, and usually I see his belly with the way he sits against the glass. But tonight I saw him and from an angle that showed me the injury -- assuming that is what it was. The spot is bigger -- I cannot get a good picture of it without pulling him out of the tank. It will stress him more if I do that. I could see his head tonight and he looked okay? I have never been able to observe this guy very closely so I am not sure what "normal" behavior is.

What would you suggest? I have a 10g that has a bunch of rock and small shrimp that I am growing out but you have to understand this fish is at least 6 or 7 inches long. Help????

 

[Mental1]

Well, I could not get any input anywhere on what to do so I caught him this morning and put him in the 10g tank. I was worried he would die while I was traveling and pollute the whole system. I have to get on an airplane today so cannot get pictures but maybe when I get back. He's got lots of food to choose from in that tank -- I added a ammonia remover pad to the filter. I will set up the 29g for him when I get back. Hopefully the ten gallon will be okay for 5 days or so. The wound still looks bad -- not sure what it is but at least now I can get a picture. But the tank is full of shrimp and I added some mollies so he should be able to eat okay. He won't be as happy as there aren't any really good hiding places but maybe the food will make up for that. It's in the basement so he will be left alone most of the time. Fingers crossed!

 

[liverock]

Well, I could not get any input anywhere on what to do so I caught him this morning and put him in the 10g tank. I was worried he would die while I was traveling and pollute the whole system. I have to get on an airplane today so cannot get pictures but maybe when I get back. He's got lots of food to choose from in that tank -- I added a ammonia remover pad to the filter. I will set up the 29g for him when I get back. Hopefully the ten gallon will be okay for 5 days or so. The wound still looks bad -- not sure what it is but at least now I can get a picture. But the tank is full of shrimp and I added some mollies so he should be able to eat okay. He won't be as happy as there aren't any really good hiding places but maybe the food will make up for that. It's in the basement so he will be left alone most of the time. Fingers crossed!

Sounds like toadfish disease.

Common to them...little spot forms on there head...gets larger and larger. Most not likely a wound, but the disease. I have not seen one recover from it before. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

Richard TBS