Odd growth on my goby's mouth. Bacterial?

thewedge · Jun 26, 2023

Hi. Today I noticed an odd growth on my harbor goby's mouth. I have gone through several threads, including the disease identification thread. I think this looks similar to pictures of bacterial growth I have seen but I'm not sure. As you can see from the pictures, it looks like something that disappears periodically. I have no idea where it goes. These pictures were taken only a min apart. It seems there may also be a hole in the center of it's lower jaw. Appreciate any help identifying and treatment recommendations.

Jay Hemdal · Jun 26, 2023

Clear photos, thanks!

The first photo looks like an injury. The second photo seems to have a growth or skin tag coming off of it.

If this showed up suddenly, and did not grow larger over time, I would say it is an injury. The question is though, can it heal on its own, or has it gotten infected? I can’t answer that - but try feeding the fish. If it eats well, this is probably a superficial injury.

Jay

thewedge · Jun 26, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
Clear photos, thanks!

The first photo looks like an injury. The second photo seems to have a growth or skin tag coming off of it.

If this showed up suddenly, and did not grow larger over time, I would say it is an injury. The question is though, can it heal on its own, or has it gotten infected? I can’t answer that - but try feeding the fish. If it eats well, this is probably a superficial injury.

Jay

Thanks for your response! He usually just sifts sand, which I noticed he was doing less of, but still doing it. I added some nori, but the lights are going down and he usually hides for the night. I will keep an eye on it. I have a fish trap and can spin up a qt if needed. Ironically, I've had a love/hate relationship with this guy. He definitely helps keep the sand clean. But he also sprays sand everywhere. and my tank often looks like it got snowed on.