Sick Urchin maybe

[keysfishfinder]

This morning found my purple urchin with all his upper tenticles flat and a large number of them in a trail where he moved during the night. I took him out of the tank and his bottom seems fine, he is in a quarantine tank till I get home. Also noticed what looks like a crack on his top side in the shape of a starfish arm.

The only thing new is a bristle star (week ago) and 2 hydor koralia powerheads (yesterday). Everything else has been in the tank.

Thanks
keysfishfinder

 

[Innovator]

That's not good and normally when an urchin is injured to the point of losing spines it won't last much longer. Any crabs in the tank by chance?

 

[keysfishfinder]

yes a small emerald and a shame face. but they have been part of the group since the beginning.

thanks

 

[melosu58]

Sometimes fish or inverts dont go bad right away. It will take time as I had 2 angel that were good for 4 yrs before they decided to wreck my reef. I agree with James that it does not look good.

 

[Fluff]

I have to agree, this looks like typical dying behavior for an urchin. Why? Hard to say. I have one exactly like yours that is doing great and has been for nearly a year now, while I've had green ones that perished in only a few months. As for the crack, that is a typical marking. Once all the spines are released, you'll see many more of them. They are just part of the urchin.

 

[keysfishfinder]

thanks all, just got home and he lost all the spines except for 2 rows on the bottom. Looks like he is a goner. To bad cool little guy to watch do his thing. Headed out to try and catch some other stuff today so maybe will see one of these out on the rocks.