Dustin JOHNSON
New member
i have a porcupine puffer. that acts like it cant open its mouth to eat. it will chase the food around the tank and try to eat it . but never get it in its mouth. thanks for any info Dustin Johnson norman oklahoma
porcupine puffer cant open mouth
- Thread starter Dustin JOHNSON
- Start date
Gwalker
In Memoriam
This is a long shot, but you might try to add iodine to the water. Does he have a lump in his throat area? If so this might be a goiter, which is common in sharks due to deficiencies in iodine intake. Sometimes the goiter will inhibit the animal to work the jaw area. I've never heard it happening with a puffer but you never know. It might even be hard to see a goiter on a puffer due to their elastic skin? The ideal way to adminisiter the treatment is soaking the food in iodine but if he's not eating that may be a bit difficult.
Like I said this is a long shot but adding a small amount of iodine daily wont hurt anything.
2cts.
Gary
Like I said this is a long shot but adding a small amount of iodine daily wont hurt anything.
2cts.
Gary
Russ Braaten
New member
Hello Dustin! Welcome to the COMAS forum.
I am not sure what the answer is but I have questions. Have you had ther puffer long? Did it used to eat normally?
I am not sure what the answer is but I have questions. Have you had ther puffer long? Did it used to eat normally?
Dustin JOHNSON
New member
puffer
puffer
I have had the puffer for about six months. ate like a pig on saturday. it does not have any lumps . that i can see thanks
puffer
I have had the puffer for about six months. ate like a pig on saturday. it does not have any lumps . that i can see thanks
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
I read several posts at wetwebmedia where several people were claiming the same thing, their puffers looking at the food, like they were going to eat but not able to open their mouths. They were saying this was going on during algea blooms in the water but nobody was able to offer any good advice. Just FYI, may wanna check out wetwebmedia.com and see if they have any further info.
Dustin JOHNSON
New member
puffer
puffer
i have been feeding it frozen krill.
puffer
i have been feeding it frozen krill.
Russ Braaten
New member
I don't know a lot about them but you may have protiened it out. I know they need a lot of veggies. They also have beaks that can get over grown if they don't crunch on shells and the like. I am sure Charlie-VCoo71 will have more info.
You really need to remove him and look into his mouth. I have had several come in with overgrown "copepod" looking parasites. If you can control him long enough to open the mouth and have a look with a flashlight. Depending on size - several people may be necessary to handle your puffer. I had a meleagris puffer (8" or so) with a really nasty "bug" in his mouth. It took about 6 weeks for this fish to shut-down his feeding and I noticed the thing in it's mouth. I have never id'd the bugs - guess now maybe I should have. It was easily removed with tweezers. If necessary you can use clove oil as a seditive. However, this should be done with caution.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Are you talking about the Tongue eating Isopods? They look vicious.
http://tolweb.org/Isopoda (Abstract Located towards the bottom)
---Abstract---
Scientific Name Cymothoa exigua
Comments The tongue-eating isopod causes degeneration of the tongue of its host fish, the rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, and it then attaches to the remaining tongue stub and floor of the fish's mouth by hook-like pereopods. In this position the isopod superficially resembles its host's missing tongue. Brusca & Gilligan (1983) hypothesize that these isopods serve as a mechanical replacement for the fish's tongue and represent the first known case in animals of functional replacement of a host structure by a parasite. This relationship is so-far known only from the Gulf of California.
Reference Alex Kerstitch. 1989. Sea of Cortez Marine Invertebrates. Sea Challengers, Monteray, California.
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Copyright © 1989 Matthew Gilligan, Savannah State College, Savannah, GA
.....Isopods are amazing creatures!
http://tolweb.org/Isopoda (Abstract Located towards the bottom)
---Abstract---
Scientific Name Cymothoa exigua
Comments The tongue-eating isopod causes degeneration of the tongue of its host fish, the rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, and it then attaches to the remaining tongue stub and floor of the fish's mouth by hook-like pereopods. In this position the isopod superficially resembles its host's missing tongue. Brusca & Gilligan (1983) hypothesize that these isopods serve as a mechanical replacement for the fish's tongue and represent the first known case in animals of functional replacement of a host structure by a parasite. This relationship is so-far known only from the Gulf of California.
Reference Alex Kerstitch. 1989. Sea of Cortez Marine Invertebrates. Sea Challengers, Monteray, California.
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Copyright © 1989 Matthew Gilligan, Savannah State College, Savannah, GA
.....Isopods are amazing creatures!
Travis L. Stevens
New member
OT: If you find another and are able to remove it without damaging the invertebrate, would you be willing to preserve it until I can get up there to take a look at it?
Dustin JOHNSON
New member
puffer not looking so good . it has been a week since it has ate . tried to force feed .no luck
