Blennies
Blennies are popular aquarium fish, and for good reason. They are peaceful, colorful, and many are downright helpful. For example, the aptly named Lawnmower Blenny will keep your green algae well trimmed and presentable. With the exception of Fang Blennies, Blennies are totally reef safe- in fact a reef environment is really best for them because they can be shy and the intricate rockwork of a reef provides ample hiding spaces. They are omnivores and should be fed a varied diet of frozen or live foods and plant matter. Blennies do not have teeth or functional jaw, so food must be small enough for them to swallow whole.
Blennies are often confused with Gobies, but there is an easy way to tell the difference. Gobies have two distinct dorsal fins, Blennies have a single dorsal fin that runs the length of their body. Also, Gobies' pelvic fins are fused to form a sucker, similar to Remoras.
| Common name | Image | Taxonomy | Reef safe | Care Level | Description | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinyhead blenny | Acanthemblemaria spinosa | Yes | Moderate | Brown checkered body with distinctive yellow frills on head. | 70002000000000000002 cm (0.8 in) | |
| Bicolor blenny | Ecsenius bicolor | Yes | Easy to moderate | Characterized by the striking contrast of a blue head and upper torso followed by a yellow orange lower torso. | 700111000000000000011 cm (4.3 in) | |
| Black combtooth blenny | Ecsenius namiyei | Yes | Easy | 700110000000000000010 cm (3.9 in) | ||
| Blackline fang blenny | Meiacanthus nigrolineatus | No | Easy to moderate | Yellow bodied with bright blue mask and dark black line running from the eye to the caudal fin. | 70009000000000000009 cm (3.5 in) | |
| Black sailfin blenny | Atrosalarias fuscus | Yes | Moderate | 700110000000000000010 cm (3.9 in) | ||
| Blue & gold blenny | Enchelyurus flavipes | Yes | Easy | 70005000000000000005 cm (2.0 in) | ||
| Bundoon blenny | Meiacanthus bundoon | No | Easy to moderate | Black with lighter patch over caudal fin. Very distinctive swallowtail caudal fin. | 70008000000000000008 cm (3.1 in) | |
| Canary fang blenny | Meiacanthus oualanensis | No | Easy to moderate | Similarly shaped to M. bundoon, but canary yellow. | 70005000000000000005 cm (2.0 in) | |
| Diamond blenny | Malacoctenus boehlkei | Yes | Moderate | Gray with black splotches, and a yellow mask. Shaped more like hawkfish than a blenny. | 70006500000000000006.5 cm (2.6 in) | |
| Ember blenny | Cirripectes stigmaticus | No | Moderate | 700112000000000000012 cm (4.7 in) | ||
| Lawnmower blenny | Salarias fasciatus | Yes | Moderate to difficult | Tan and brown striped and spotted with iridescence. Requires Mature Tank. | 700114000000000000014 cm (5.5 in) | |
| Linear blenny | Ecsenius lineatus | No | Easy | 70009000000000000009 cm (3.5 in) | ||
| Midas blenny | Ecsenius midas | Yes | Easy to moderate | Although often seen yellow, this fish has the ability to change its color to match the surroundings. It has a very distinctive swallowtail shaped caudal fin. | 700113000000000000013 cm (5.1 in) | |
| Molly Miller blenny | Scartella cristata | Yes | Easy to moderate | Mottled tan, white, and black covering the body and fins. | 700112000000000000012 cm (4.7 in) | |
| One spot blenny | Crossosalarias macrospilus | No | Easy | 700110000000000000010 cm (3.9 in) | ||
| Red lip blenny | Ophioblennius atlanticus | Yes | Easy to moderate | Black to grayish yellow with red patch over mouth. | 700119000000000000019 cm (7.5 in) | |
| Red Sea mimic blenny | Ecsenius gravieri | Moderate | Sky blue anterior fading to yellow towards the tail, with a black stripe running the eye to the base of the caudal fin. | 70008000000000000008 cm (3.1 in) | ||
| Sailfin blenny | Emblemaria pandionis | Yes | Moderate | Very similar to Salarias fasciatus but slightly darker and with a much larger dorsal fin. | 70005000000000000005 cm (2.0 in) | |
| Segmented sailfin blenny | Salarias segmentatus | Yes | Easy | 700110000000000000010 cm (3.9 in) | ||
| Starry blenny | Salarias ramosus | Yes | Easy | 700114000000000000014 cm (5.5 in) | ||
| Striped blenny | Meiacanthus grammistes | Yes | Moderate | 700112000000000000012 cm (4.7 in) | ||
| Tail spot blenny | Ecsenius stigmatura | Yes | Moderate | Drab tan all over with dark spot at the base of the caudal fin and a light yellow line through eye. | 70006000000000000006 cm (2.4 in) | |
| Two-spot blenny | Ecsenius bimaculatus | Yes | Moderate | The top half of this fish is black towards the front and fades to white closer to the tail. The bottom half is white with two distinctive black spots right under the pectoral fins. | 70004500000000000004.5 cm (1.8 in) | |
| Convict blenny | Pholidichthys leucotaenia | Yes | Moderate | Not actually a blenny but from closely related family Pholidichthys. Juvenile has black eel-shaped body with a distinctive white stripe running down the body. Adults are yellow and black striped. | 700134000000000000034 cm (13.4 in) |
Read more about this topic: List Of Marine Aquarium Fish Species