My Funny Picture

What is this weird lump on my fishes head?

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/CypriniiformPIX/Goldfish/goldfish%20tumor.jpg thats the link to a picture of another fish with a similar problem, but my fish has had his for a few years now but his are much bigger and less furry looking. PLEASE HELP

Public Comments

1. Some fancy goldfish grow lumps on their head because that's what their species is. If you have a fish that looks like this http://www.bestfish.com/fish/pandao8.jpg then you shouldn't be too alarmed because that's just what the species looks like. Lionhead goldfish are actually bred to have the lumps on purpose. They look like this: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=lionhead+goldfish&aq=f&oq= Other times, the fish has got a cyst or a tumor or a virus. There is a disease called lymphocystis that causes cauliflower like growths on fish. You can read more about it here http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Lawler_Lymphocystis.html The writer of that article suggests that lymphocystis can infect humans, so be careful when handling your fish. If you submit a picture of your fish, we'll be able to tell you if it's just the species of fish, a tumor, or lymphocystis. You can host a digital picture online at www.photobucket.com :)