Who is eating my toadstool

[mvallee]

I have one of those weeping willow toadstools that has not been doing so well. I got it about 18 months ago and at first seemed fine, growing, nice polyp extension but then it just retracted and was going downhill.
It was a $79 purchase at the size of a dime so for a toadstool pretty expensive.
I suspected it was being nibbled on because when I would put it in my sump it would start to rebound, slight polyp extension and start growing but my light is not meant for corals, mostly reds.

This morning I saw this on the stalk

and this afternoon this is what it looks like

so something is actively munching away at it. I did not think fish liked Leathers?

My most likely culprits are a pair of file fish I got to control aiptasia, which they did but have since caught them nibbling on things they should not. I also have a Coral Beauty Angel fish, never seen it touch coral just picking at rocks and such. I have a red tail trigger but really do not think it was him. Yellow tang that is always picking in that area of the tank. My Coral banded shrimp pair have claimed that side of the tank as well but never heard of them causing damage to coral.
What else would cause perfect little circles in a line like this? I do have a number of wrasses, including Melanaurus and Moyers so doubt it is some kind of flatworm, nothing I have seen in the tank either.

My big concern is I have this big Solomon Island Toadstool, It is almost 17" across when fully opened, it is the central focal point of the tank and the fish love swimming in, around and hanging under it. I see no marks or evidence of the same type of issue.

Just looking for any experience with toadstools being eaten like this
Thanks

 

[dz6t]

They do not look like bite marks, they look like bacteria infect that causes rotting. Dip it with seachem reefdip to see if the coral will bounce back.

 

[coralfishreef]

Those look like bite marks to me. I’ve seen a lot of threads with people claiming that filefish ate their corals including LPS and zoas. There are a few threads with people saying their filefish ate their Xenia or leather corals.

My vote is the filefish especially considering what you said here, “ I suspected it was being nibbled on because when I would put it in my sump it would start to rebound...”

 

[mvallee]

Update on this thread, The file fish have been put in the sump and I have noticed a marked improvement in that particular Toadstool. The File fish were bought as a bonded pair and were quite enjoyable to watch in the tank. They definitely did their jobs of wiping out the Aiptasia in my DT and now sump has no noticeable Aiptasia already.

Odd they would go after one toadstool and leave the other alone as well as other leathers, zoa's, ricordea etc.... Also not surprising they were fine until they wiped out all visible Aiptasia as well, figure I will give it a week or so before I put them up for sale to see what the rebound is going to be like without them in the tank.

Watch for a for sale thread soon for these proven Aiptasia hunters

 

[Zach77]

Update on this thread, The file fish have been put in the sump and I have noticed a marked improvement in that particular Toadstool. The File fish were bought as a bonded pair and were quite enjoyable to watch in the tank. They definitely did their jobs of wiping out the Aiptasia in my DT and now sump has no noticeable Aiptasia already.

Odd they would go after one toadstool and leave the other alone as well as other leathers, zoa's, ricordea etc.... Also not surprising they were fine until they wiped out all visible Aiptasia as well, figure I will give it a week or so before I put them up for sale to see what the rebound is going to be like without them in the tank.

Watch for a for sale thread soon for these proven Aiptasia hunters

Depending on price, I’ll take the file fish when they become available. My 80g sump has a bad breakout right now.