LIONFISH PROBLEM

[ivnurse77]

I have a large lionfish that suddenly has been able to move the skin of his top lip upward exposing what looks like pure white cartilage and two large nostrils. He does this while the rim of his upper lip stays tight against his bottom lip.He also can return it to it's normal position so that it looks as if there is no problem. I have had several lionfish and have never experienced this before.
The guy at the LFS says that all lions can do this. If so I think I would have noticed before.This fish eats freeze dried krill fed by hand from a pipette and usually flies toward the glass when he sees the can. Now it seems like a chore to get him to eat just one.
Any thoughts?

 

[Miles]

They can naturally move their jaw-line like the LFS guy said, and they will often yawn. If he is 'yawning' or 'gasping' with his mouth open he might be trying to expel more water through his gills. Make sure you have plenty of O2 in the tank, and hopefully it's not any sort of permenant gill damage like ammonia burn.

edit: I noticed you said it's the skin above his lip.. That is kind of odd, have you checked your water quality?

Do you soak your krill before feeding it? He could of damaged his upper jaw too with freeze-dried krill being to sharp.. I have also been given advice that improper krill, that is too dry and sharp, could puncture the lining of a lionfish's stomach. I found it hard to believe since they eat crustacions in the wild.

 

[AquataHolic420]

what species lion???
pics would help...

 

[MrFisher]

They can naturally move their jaw-line like the LFS guy said, and they will often yawn. If he is 'yawning' or 'gasping' with his mouth open he might be trying to expel more water through his gills. Make sure you have plenty of O2 in the tank, and hopefully it's not any sort of permenant gill damage like ammonia burn.

edit: I noticed you said it's the skin above his lip.. That is kind of odd, have you checked your water quality?

Do you soak your krill before feeding it? He could of damaged his upper jaw too with freeze-dried krill being to sharp.. I have also been given advice that improper krill, that is too dry and sharp, could puncture the lining of a lionfish's stomach. I found it hard to believe since they eat crustacions in the wild.

i agree