Strange behavior from fang blenny

[csababubbles]

I have a mozambique fang blenny that is exhibiting strange behaviors recently and would appreciate if someone could help me figure out what it is and how to help him.

He was originally in a reef tank that was a 45 gallon cube. He was in there for maybe a year after his initial QT and never had any problems. Acted and ate normal and appeared disease free. Tank seemed a little cramped for him and felt like he would like to stretch his fins so I moved him into a 220 tank with other fish that has also been all QT'ed properly and had never shown any sort of disease.

He was fine for the first month. Then he started doing this strange behavior. He swims close to the bottom of the tank or the back glass and kinda wipes his face on the surface, like he's trying to scratch his face. At first it looked like he is hunting pods and such but if you observe closely he's actually scratching his face. He will do this 3 or 4 times in a row and then be on his way. He is the only fish that will exhibit this behavior.

I looked very closely at his body and there is nothing that I can observe with my naked eye that seems unusual. I can easily catch him and moved him to a QT tank because he always sleeps in the corner of the tank near the top. Does this behavior seem to come from an infectious disease? Where does it come from? Should I remove him? What would be the recommended treatment?

Thanks for any help!

 

[leebca]

The list of possibilities include those you've mentioned, plus an irritant. Among the parasite/pathogen list there are worms which have elicited this response in fishes.

Since you are an advanced aquarist, I would capture the fish and with a magnifying glass, inspect the head closely for any signs of 'pitting' or parasite.

Make sure of your water quality and see if there might be any electrical leaks into the system.

If the fish 'passes' the above observation, and the tank checks out, then you may just chalk the matter up to the fish enjoying the feeling. Is the substrate the same as the substrate in the previous home the fish inhabited?

 

[csababubbles]

The substrate in the old tank with a 4" sandbed, and he never did this behavior.

The new tank is barebottom but has a hair-algae "lawn" where he does his scratching.

Magnification reveals some pitting in the area of his head.

 

[leebca]

I'd give higher probability to the fish enjoying the sensation of the contact.

In two weeks, check again for the pitting. Note if there is any change (more pits or less pits).