Dead Goldfish and mystery cartildge

[taherrmann4]

One of my goldfish has died, I saw him at the bottom of the pond over the weekend barely moving and his back half looked paler than his front but I have a few other fish that look similar and have for years so I did not think much of it. Later that day I no longer saw him where he was hanging out so figured everything was ok. Today I went out to empty the skimmer and there he was at the bottom of the basket. When I pulled him out he looks as though his scales are completely gone on his back half and the back half of his dorsal fins were gone only little sharp points is all that were left. Any ideas what he may have died from?

Then I also found this mystery piece of cartlidge in the skimmer as well, I have no idea what it could be. There are no other bones or anything else around that I could find. It is not bone as it is quite thin and light weight as well as a very slight bit of flexibility to it. Ideas???

 

[Waterbug]

Hard to tell. The damage could be post-mortem. Otherwise bacteria or fungus.

The mystery piece is part of Koi or Goldfish skull I think.

 

[HARO]

I'd say it's part of a frog's skull.
John

 

[koiguy1969]

first thing that came to mind was fish skull ... i would think a frog skull would be wider in front.

 

[j.w]

I think it might be D.B Cooper :razz: