The Beloved Blenny
Blennies Are Popular Saltwater Fish for the Marine Aquarium
While many aquarists know the common blennies from the family Blenniidae, there is a great diversity amongst this group of often lovable marine fish.
It’s hard to generalize about blennies. Some are peaceful while others are aggressive. Some are active and others reclusive. Many are colorful but just as many are drab. There are charmingly small blennies (e.g. Caribbean Red Lip Blenny, Ophioblennius atlanticus), and then there are monsters (e.g. Hairtail Blenny, Xiphasia setifer). Many are reef safe, but some, like the Leopard blenny (Exallias brevis), readily feed on coral. Most are shallow water species, but at least one (Bathyblennius antholops) lives at depths greater than 330-feet. The contradictions go on and on.
Suggested Species
Anyone who tries to paint the suborder Blennioidei with a broad brush is either not very knowledgeable or they are lying to you. Having said that, the best bets for the beginning aquarist are most likely to be found in the family Blenniidae, especially in the genera Ecsenius.
- Bicolor Blenny (E. bicolor)
- Midas Blenny (E. midas)
- Red Sea Mimic Blenny (E. gravieri).
Other Blenniidae to consider include members of the genus Salarias.
- Lawnmower Blenny (S. fasciatus)
Blenniidae from the Genus Meiacanthus also warrant consideration.
- Canary Blenny (M. oualanensis)
- Yellowtail Fang Blenny (M. atrodorsalis).
At least one Blenny from the Genus Ophioblennius is also a real crowd pleaser.
- Redlip Blenny (O. atlanticus)
If you wish to dabble beyond the family Blenniidae, some of the tube-dwelling blennies from the family Chaenopsidae are favorites in the hobby.
- Barnacle Blenny (Acanthemblemaria macrospilus)
Care
Blennies should be kept in a well aquascaped aquarium, preferably with live rock and plenty of crevices, caves and other retreats. Many blennies appreciate a sandbed, as some species are prolific diggers. Because they are relatively aggressive towards members of their own species, and even other species within the family, it is best to keep one blenny per tank unless the tank is in excess of 75-gallons. While aggressive toward their own, Blennies can be harassed or even preyed upon by other aggressive fish, and so it is best to keep them with peaceful tankmates.
Diet
Captive feeding of species in the Blenniidae family is generally not difficult. In the wild, blennies run the gamut from carnivore to herbivore to omnivore, and their feeding habits are about as diverse as the fishes themselves. The Combtooth Blennies have “comblike” teeth which they use to scrape and eat algae, while the Sabertooth Blennies, aggressive mimics of cleanerfish, eat the flesh of other fish. Many blennies will readily take to small morsels of live or frozen food, as well as prepared foods consisting of protein and vegetable matter. For the herbivore blennies, try herbivore preparations with marine and spirulina algae, dried seaweed (Nori), and live macro-algae from your refugium. For the Omnivores, add frozen carnivore preparations with finely chopped marine flesh, mysis shrimp and brine shrimp.
The so-called Scooter Blenny (Synchiropus ocellatus), which is not actually a blenny at all but often is sold by that name, deserves special mention in regards to its diet. This fish, and other dragonets, require mature, large aquariums with healthy pod populations. These fish are incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to adapt to a captive diet, and they rarely accept anything but the tiniest of live foods. It may be worth trying to tempt them with frozen artemia (baby brine shrimp) as a supplement.
Additional Resources
As always, do your research before acquiring any marine species. Here are some good resources at which to look:
WetWebMedia's Article on "The True/Combtooth Blennies, Family Blenniidae"
