Severum with Black Face?

[Justin Thyme]

I just noticed today that my green severum has turned jet black on the right
side of his face. His other colouring is also more pronounced. The jet black
colour covers all of his right side, but none of his left side. Also I have
a female gold severum, and in the last couple of days i have noticed thin
dark brown lines on her body. It doesn't look parasitic or anything, it
just looks like it's skin pigmentation. There is nothing abnormal about
their behaviour, they still fight off all the convicts that enter their half
of the tank. They are swimming normally, eating normally etc. Is this just
wierd pigmentation that they've turned on (breeding perhaps?) or is it a
sign of something more sinister?

[bandu the gregarian]

Obviously he was at a celebrity costume party last night and he went
as Al Jolson


On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 03:58:40 GMT, "Justin Thyme"
> wrote:

>I just noticed today that my green severum has turned jet black on the right
>side of his face. His other colouring is also more pronounced. The jet black
>colour covers all of his right side, but none of his left side. Also I have
>a female gold severum, and in the last couple of days i have noticed thin
>dark brown lines on her body. It doesn't look parasitic or anything, it
>just looks like it's skin pigmentation. There is nothing abnormal about
>their behaviour, they still fight off all the convicts that enter their half
>of the tank. They are swimming normally, eating normally etc. Is this just
>wierd pigmentation that they've turned on (breeding perhaps?) or is it a
>sign of something more sinister?
>

[NetMax]

"Justin Thyme" > wrote in message
...
> I just noticed today that my green severum has turned jet black on the
right
> side of his face. His other colouring is also more pronounced. The jet
black
> colour covers all of his right side, but none of his left side. Also I
have
> a female gold severum, and in the last couple of days i have noticed
thin
> dark brown lines on her body. It doesn't look parasitic or anything,
it
> just looks like it's skin pigmentation. There is nothing abnormal
about
> their behaviour, they still fight off all the convicts that enter their
half
> of the tank. They are swimming normally, eating normally etc. Is this
just
> wierd pigmentation that they've turned on (breeding perhaps?) or is it
a
> sign of something more sinister?

I have 2 large fish disease volumes at work and I've come across what you
are describing. I don't recall the details accurately enough to post,
but the described symptom is a disease which infrequently affects fish.
Their illustrations showed Discus with large black patches on one side
including part of their face. It might have been part of Untergaser
research papers (he might be the most written-up fish disease author).
hth

NetMax