Stuck chromatophores

[LBDave]

One of my Juruparis (only one in this community tank) has just started today to have a dark tail area. A little darker on one side than the other.
Fish is in excellent condition.
Has anyone seen this before? It doesn't worry me but it's a bit strange.

 

[cmsbthebest]

To my knowledge, blackening like that is generally a sign of a spinal injury

 

[LBDave]

duanes
fins work fine
maybe Duanes has input

 

[stiker]

Generally it is a sign of nerve damage, in majority of cases it will return to normal

 

[Toiletcar]

Has happened to a robertsoni I had. Went away in a week.

 

[LBDave]

Interesting.
Do you know what caused it for the robertsoni?
The jurupari doesn’t have a mark on it and this is a pretty docile tank.

 

[ryansmith83]

It’s often nerve damage. Usually because the fish slams into the glass or a decoration, or has some type of bodily trauma. In some instances it only shows up on one side of the fish. In most cases it fades on its own, though some people report that their fish eventually die.

 

[Toiletcar]

Interesting.
Do you know what caused it for the robertsoni?
The jurupari doesn’t have a mark on it and this is a pretty docile tank.

Nope. No signs of injury either. This was a docile tank too.

 

[..puSkar..]

It’s often nerve damage. Usually because the fish slams into the glass or a decoration, or has some type of bodily trauma. In some instances it only shows up on one side of the fish. In most cases it fades on its own, though some people report that their fish eventually die.

Very true. My fh had one side of his face turn dark and slowly his health started deteriorating and he passed within a week

 

[LBDave]

Everybody's input is appreciated. Led me to getting more information. Appears to me that the chromataphores are in a non-innervated state. So it is nervous system related. Everybody seems to agree with that. Vertebrae have been severed in fish and this has occured.

Could it be due to a virus(?) (some have postulated- similar to herpes). Seems there are other diseases that could cause this in discus. One post cited Myxobolus cerebralis (study in Australia).
But these disease manifest other symptoms.
Another member had this happen with a robertsoni. Not caused by physical injury.
It is also reported to be fairly common in Flowerhorns.

While a parasitic disease could cause this or physical damage I believe this is not the case for this fish.

I'm wondering if it is associated with genetics. Nothing new was introduced in this tank. Very doubtful it was caused by physical damage.
As a side note, this 3 year old fish has a jaw deformity from birth.