Wierd tsn

[Dgmannn412]

So my tsn is deformed. It has a rounded head. It's not flat like a coal shovel it's round like a spade or a snow scoop. It has grown from an inch long to 13 inches in 3 1/2 months however it's head is domed. Will it flatten out over time or will it stay like this?

 

[vincentwugwg]

So my tsn is deformed. It has a rounded head. It's not flat like a coal shovel it's round like a spade or a snow scoop. It has grown from an inch long to 13 inches in 3 1/2 months however it's head is domed. Will it flatten out over time or will it stay like this?View attachment 1240932 View attachment 1240933

It will stay like that... get used to it Or keep it in a pond... not as pronounced from a top view prospective. Here are some of mine that have the same deformity.

 

[Dgmannn412]

Is it something I did or is genetics?

 

[vincentwugwg]

He might have rammed the side of a tank one too many times..

 

[ShanerBock888]

I have a 13-14" TSN that has a less drastic case of the same thing. When it was younger it wasn't as pronounced but has just gotten worse over time. I've done a bunch of research and found that it can happen if it's in a tank that's way too small for it for an extended period of time, or like vincentwugwg said it had a series of injuries. It can also be genetic. Judging by your pics I don't think he's cramped in his tank, so it's probably either genetic or from an injury

 

[Dgmannn412]

There's a friend of mine with one of the siblings and it's exactly the same shape and drop. The other guy who has one said his looks like that but had no pic. I would have to go with genetic defect. It growls before it strikes and has no visible signs of an issue so as soon as the indoor pool is ready in it will go.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

IMO this is the commonly seen deformity in farmed TSN that has a varying degree of severity. It is referred to as a duck bill deformity or as wednesday13 our resident TSN expert calls it Camel Joe deformity.

A lot of TSN we get in our ornamental fish trade have this defect, which is caused by a mutation in the genes. Mutations occur in bunches, meaning that not one but several genetic hiccups occur at the same time most commonly, perhaps even always, IDK, affecting a variety of organs, traits, etc.

We get culls, that is refuse, from the farms. So it appears to me 99.999% of the TSN we get in our trade are underperformers.

I'm yet to see a 3' TSN raised in captivity... The largest seem to be around 30". Another symptom of poor genes.

 

[wednesday13]

Ahhh...the not so elusive Camel Joe face TSN... he just needs a ciggarette lol... By no means is this caused by the tank or anything you did... ive owned dozens of these guys. they get on just fine and the deformities seem to grow with the fish. This deformity can be found in trout,pike,muskie and other fish. Call it inbreeding or over farming but it happens. Ive grown out these deformed specimen to 24"+ just like a "normal" p. fasciatum. no biggie... if u have the heart for them. and no it will never go back to normal as its the fishes skull thats deformed itself. Ive had very extreme cases of this and also specimen missing gill plates all together. I never had one die on me from its lack of a full mouth. IME these guys are usually meaner esp when netted. Understandably so being they got the short straw in life from the rip.

 

[ShanerBock888]

wednesday13 is it never due to tank size? I guess I was misinformed lol. When I first got my tsn someone warned me it was a possibility if I didn't keep it in a tank that was big enough. that's the internet for you

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

It can happen but the injury consequence will look different. Usually a sharp break in the upper jaw, up or down.

This one has genetics written all over it.