WHOA!!! What happened to my lion fish?

[PuffersKick]

OK, I knew my volitan lionfish wasn't doing too well since he had not been eating for the past couple of weeks. I have had him for a while so I thought he might be on his way out.

So I fed my tank in the morning and everything was fine (he didn't eat as usual). I came home from work and I found my lion floating at the top of the tank with NO SPINES whatsoever! They were just GONE!

He was dead of course, but what the heck happened to his spines? Did my other fish eat them? I looked all over the tank and could not find any sign of them falling off...

I was just suprised b/c his eyes and body were not attacked, which is what I would think the other fish would have gone after first. But the spines?

Anyone have any idea?

 

[T-T-Trigger]

? first for me. sry to hear that.

 

[adddo]

Do you have a trigger in the same tank?

They have this as a hobby, killing off Lions by chewing off their spines.

 

[jwm2k3]

Most species recognize the lions as preditors/enimies, so they will take it out if its sick. Ive seen it before.

Sorry it happened.

 

[PuffersKick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8854941#post8854941 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by adddo
Do you have a trigger in the same tank?

They have this as a hobby, killing off Lions by chewing off their spines.

Yes, I have 2 triggers. A Picasso and a Hawaiian Black. That was my first thought too that the triggers ate him, but why the spines? Aren't they pretty much just small bones? Why not go for the eyes or torso?

 

[55gSW]

Because triggers may not necessarily want to eat the fish but just nibble on him and those long flowing spines are soooo tempting.....it wouldn't surprise me a bit if you found the spines hidden behind or underneath the rockwork.

 

[Puffer Queen]

Triggers have been known to pull the spines off of lion fish - I have seen it many times in LFS and have heard way too many hobbyists relate the same thing.

 

[thor32766]

sucks to hear sorry about your loss

 

[billvan]

Been down that road. Had a lion with a dogface puffer and Hawaiian Black. Everything was fine for 8 months. Then after a 4 day Vegas getaway, came back and the Lion was ripped apart, every spine, and fins eaten off, he lasted 2 days then died. I want to get another, just don't have the heart to risk another.
Bill