Vulture Catfish has black filaments protruding from body?

[fishdat]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

0ppm

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0ppm

If yes, what is your nitrate?

30ppm

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

61-70%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

I noticed a small wound on the base of a whisker and was looking up close at the vulture catfish. I never stick my face against the tank because I don't want to stress my fish out, so I can't say with certainty if it's an illness I'm unfamiliar with or if these are sensory organs.

The filaments:



Full body picture:

 

[kno4te]

More like hair or filaments with a purpose. Maybe thebiggerthebetter or Fishman Dave have an idea. Don’t think it need to be treated for external parasites yet.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Not something I can say I have seen before. Sort of looks like a graze but doesn’t look like any disease or parasite. Obviously extremely small and doesn’t look to be affecting the fish.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

This is new to me. And intriguing too. Would you mind posting on PlanetCatfish? If you don't want to bother with an account etc., I can post for you.

 

[fishdat]

This is new to me. And intriguing too. Would you mind posting on PlanetCatfish? If you don't want to bother with an account etc., I can post for you.

Please post it there and give me a link to the thread!

A minor edit to the end of first post: so I can't say with certainty if it's an illness I'm unfamiliar with or if these are sensory organs I haven't noticed from afar. They're quite hard to see even standing a foot from the tank.

I can't edit the post and forgot to finish my thoughts, so if you cross post it please include that. Thanks

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Done: https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=50064&p=330336#p330336

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Interesting. Could it have developed a mutation with little feeler hair?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

From Dr. H. H. Ng: https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=50064#p330340

Unread post by Silurus » Wed May 19, 2021 10:19 pm

These look like epithelial projections that are prominent in some catfishes (e.g. in Bagrichthys and particularly Bagroides [TBTB: lancer catfish]). If you look closely, the black projections are present right where the black spots are, and the pale projections are in places where the spots aren't.