Weird Platy/Molly mouth

[Carolyn N]

At Petco I was given 4 baby livebearers. I was told they were Platys. They were newborn. I put them in a 3 gal quarantine tank.
They had really funny looking mouths. Wide open all the time. Attached are some photos. They all eventually died. Two from being bullied. I don't know what happened to the first two. Has anyone ever seen fish with mouths like this? They were never closed.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Looks like a weird birth defect. Dosent look like a tumor type growth to me

 

[CassCats]

Theres something that can cause lockjaw in fish, ive seen it in passing forums once before but dont remember the cause.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Theres something that can cause lockjaw in fish, ive seen it in passing forums once before but dont remember the cause.

Ouch! I dont like lockjaw. Very painful. Poor fish.

 

[Colin_T]

It's a genetic defect, the fish are duds and should have been euthanised when it was first noticed but they didn't. That's why the shop gave them to you.

 

[lazarusthefishboy10]

Wow!!! Never seen that before! So strange! I am sorry for the losses. They looked very pretty and cute!

 

[CassCats]

Were their mouths like this when you got them?

And its not always true a shop will give fry away just because theyre defective.
My petsmart gives fry away free sometimes just because theyre really small and either the employees bring them home to raise or they give them to customers who want them.

Theyve given me a free guppy fry and a free cory fry who are perfectly healthy and normal.

Not always shady intentions.

 

[Carolyn N]

Yes, the mouths were like that when I got them. They were really tiny, only a few days old. The sales girl had just given some to a little girl and her father. She was so excited. I asked to see and then asked the salesgirl is there were any more that I could have. She found 4 more.I don't think she knew there was anything wrong with them. They were hiding in a tank full of large platys and ??? don't remember what the other fish were.