ocellaris lockjaw?

[gil716]

I've had my ocellaris for about 1/2 a year now. Tonight, I noticed that her mouth is not closing. She swims around with it open and I just noticed that she keeps cupping her mouth over the frogspawn tips that she hosts. She shares the frogspawn with a smaller ocellaris.

Also, she seems to be eating ok. Not voraciously, but she manages to get food into her mouth and does a quasi chew.

Anyone ever heard of this behavior? Really hoping it's a behavioral issue and not a disease.

 

[stykthyn]

I have heard of it in other fish. as long as it is getting enough food she will live, but I doubt her jaw will ever close again

 

[gil716]

Are you saying that this is nerve damage of some sort? Her mouth seemed to be a bit more closed this morning. But she continues to push her mouth into the frogspawn tips.

 

[stykthyn]

her gumming the tips is telling you that there is something irritating her mouth. I dont know what causes this, i have merely seen other fish with mouths that for some reason are stuck open. As long as they can continue to eat they seem to do well. How long has this been going on? If it has been more than a couple of weeks I would dare say that is most likely permenant

 

[gil716]

First noticed it yesterday. I wonder if a dip of some sort might help.