Growth on jawfish

[dhnguyen]

So I have a pearly jawfish that has been in the tank for a couple years and doing great. Only recently I started noticing that there is a growth on the right side of his gills. He seems ok and still eating but I could use some help identifying this. Is it a disease or infection of sorts or some sort of tumor? No new fish have been introduced into the tank for over a year now at least

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I have a pearly jawfish that has been in the tank for a couple years and doing great. Only recently I started noticing that there is a growth on the right side of his gills. He seems ok and still eating but I could use some help identifying this. Is it a disease or infection of sorts or some sort of tumor? No new fish have been introduced into the tank for over a year now at least

Looks like a post injury which may have developed an ulcer
Treatment will be needed in a separate tank using seachem neoplex
Is fish eating?
Breathing normally or labored?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So I have a pearly jawfish that has been in the tank for a couple years and doing great. Only recently I started noticing that there is a growth on the right side of his gills. He seems ok and still eating but I could use some help identifying this. Is it a disease or infection of sorts or some sort of tumor? No new fish have been introduced into the tank for over a year now at least

I can't tell from the photos, is it growing from inside the gill, or from the junction where the two gills meet? this species is prone to hyperthyroidism, goiter. So, this essentially could be a goiter tumor, not cancer, but still an issue. Goiter can be caused by an iodine deficiency, but there are also unknown goiter-producing compounds in aquariums that can cause goiter in affected species.

Jay

 

[dhnguyen]

I can't seem get a good look at that side of him to snap a good photo. It does appear to be growing from the gills front the inside out

 

[dhnguyen]

Is this condition treatable and/or terminal?

 

[dhnguyen]

Looks like a post injury which may have developed an ulcer
Treatment will be needed in a separate tank using seachem neoplex
Is fish eating?
Breathing normally or labored?

So far he is eating like normal and doesn't seem to be struggling to breathe or anything.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So far he is eating like normal and doesn't seem to be struggling to breathe or anything.

Which is good. As Jay mentioned, goiter which is 50/50 may be treatable . You can treat with Seachem Kanaplex which is broad spectrum and absorbed by fish offering best chance in a separate treatment tank with added oxygen.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Is this condition treatable and/or terminal?

People have tried adding iodine to the water, but that doesn't work. Iodine in the food will reduce goiter, but there is no reasonable way to calculate a dose on a fish this small. The dose is 2.5 mg of potassium iodide per one pound of food - a tiny amount!

What foods are you feeding it? Most fish get ample iodine from their diet.

Jay