Blenny ID

[Snow_Phoenix]

I've decided to use my somewhat empty 10G as a QT - and I picked up a few fish. One of them was sold to me under the pretext of being a Fringelip Blenny, but it isn't - I came back home and realized none of its markings match. It has three reddish-orange stripes on the head, gray lipstick, a gray checkerboard pattern on the body, speckles on the dorsal fin, and neon pink rim on the tip of the tail & dorsal fin. Also has bright, bio-luminescent blue markings around the head/eyes and in a broken, horizontal double-line on the body. I tried looking through fishbase and saltcorner and still no affirmative ID on this fish. I suspect it's from the Entomacrodus genus, but still no match. Here are several pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone know a blenny expert online which I can sent the pics to? Really curious to know what exactly he is. Behavior-wise, he's quite territorial - only around 2"+ long for now, but there were two other larger ones of the same species in the store. I bought him for a steal - only RM 10 (<U$D 2.50).

[Snow_Phoenix]

Anyone?

[StalkingWolf]

nice blenny ;o I tried searching on google and it looks like one of those blenny that changes as they age

[WV Reefer]

On 1/30/2018 at 9:55 PM, Snow_Phoenix said:

I've decided to use my somewhat empty 10G as a QT - and I picked up a few fish. One of them was sold to me under the pretext of being a Fringelip Blenny, but it isn't - I came back home and realized none of its markings match. It has three reddish-orange stripes on the head, gray lipstick, a gray checkerboard pattern on the body, speckles on the dorsal fin, and neon pink rim on the tip of the tail & dorsal fin. Also has bright, bio-luminescent blue markings around the head/eyes and in a broken, horizontal double-line on the body. I tried looking through fishbase and saltcorner and still no affirmative ID on this fish. I suspect it's from the Entomacrodus genus, but still no match. Here are several pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone know a blenny expert online which I can sent the pics to? Really curious to know what exactly he is. Behavior-wise, he's quite territorial - only around 2"+ long for now, but there were two other larger ones of the same species in the store. I bought him for a steal - only RM 10 (<U$D 2.50).

 

I have no idea but it’s very pretty. 

[StalkingWolf]

RAWR u make me jealous something like that in Canada would cost a heck lot.......... 50 - 100

[Snow_Phoenix]

2 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

 

I have no idea but it’s very pretty. 

Yeah, it is unique. It was actually a very dull gray at the store. The markings only began to show up when I brought it back home and it got comfortable enough to perch on the LR. Still wondering what it is though. 

Just now, StalkingWolf said:

RAWR u make me jealous something like that in Canada would cost a heck lot.......... 50 - 100

Really? 

I happen to know the LFS manager personally and I have frequented this store for nearly 6 years now. He gives good discounts to older customers. I think it was originally double the price I received it for. Still, a good buy, I feel. It's quite an interesting/active fish. 

6 minutes ago, StalkingWolf said:

nice blenny ;o I tried searching on google and it looks like one of those blenny that changes as they age

Wolf, can you explain? Do you mean the markings change as it ages? 

[StalkingWolf]

kinda like the convict blenny 

 

[WV Reefer]

What about combtooth blenny

 

[StalkingWolf]

ye I guess. just wait a couple of days to see if it changes to something different o.o

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

1 hour ago, WV Reefer said:

What about combtooth blenny

 

Could be. There are so many species of combtooth blennies. I think not all of them are listed online - this one is from the Indo-Pacific region so the possibilities could be endless.

59 minutes ago, StalkingWolf said:

ye I guess. just wait a couple of days to see if it changes to something different o.o

 

Yep. 

[Oldsalt01]

Having been graced with many species of Blenny in the last 40 so years, I have absolutely no idea what species this is. It looks much like Molly Miller, or Starry, or Lawnmower, or Combtooth, etc. Often a species ID is down to the number of cirri on the head and/or the number of teeth in it's head. Whatever it is, it's darned purty.

[Snow_Phoenix]

6 hours ago, Oldsalt01 said:

Having been graced with many species of Blenny in the last 40 so years, I have absolutely no idea what species this is. It looks much like Molly Miller, or Starry, or Lawnmower, or Combtooth, etc. Often a species ID is down to the number of cirri on the head and/or the number of teeth in it's head. Whatever it is, it's darned purty.

Thanks for the input, Oldsalt! Honestly, I love blennies - every marine tank I've owned in the past 5 years or so has had 1 blenny one time or the other. There are no tufted cirris on the head of this species - just two small projections (not sure if that's the cirri you meant). Otherwise his head is actually very smooth. Do you by any chance know a blenny expert I can get in touch with? I'm honestly very, very curious over this guy. He's grazes on the rock like a combtooth, but has began to actively *try and eat pellets now. 

[Oldsalt01]

Sorry, I don't know any "blenny experts", and yes I did mean the little tufts on it's head. All of my Blenny's, regardless of species, have been omnivores, so it's not surprising it's taking pellets. My little Tail-spot spends most of his day cleaning the rocks of the green "dust" algae I have, and will occasionally have a go at the small amount of turf algae on the rock. But when it comes to feeding time, he's right there, front and center, waiting for the mysis, pellets, fish roe, whatever is on the menu. I swear, sometimes he looks like he's about to bust wide open.

[Snow_Phoenix]

1 minute ago, Oldsalt01 said:

Sorry, I don't know any "blenny experts", and yes I did mean the little tufts on it's head. All of my Blenny's, regardless of species, have been omnivores, so it's not surprising it's taking pellets. My little Tail-spot spends most of his day cleaning the rocks of the green "dust" algae I have, and will occasionally have a go at the small amount of turf algae on the rock. But when it comes to feeding time, he's right there, front and center, waiting for the mysis, pellets, fish roe, whatever is on the menu. I swear, sometimes he looks like he's about to bust wide open.

Well, this one likes foraging on the LR - grazing for microalgae. But yes, when it's time for the standard feeding, he's up and front chasing after pellets. I've kept a variety of blennies over the years - the most troublesome being a flametail blenny, and the most interesting being a Pictus. Now my LFS only keeps pulling in lawnmowers and bicolors. I've found lawnmowers to be quite aggressive when they reach max. size though. 

 

My current mystery blenny isn't exactly aggressive, but he is territorial. Especially if my hermits get too close. 

[Oldsalt01]

Yah, they can be "tough guys", even the little ones. If my female Ocellaris gives the Tail-spot any trouble he'll just turn around, grab her by the lower lip and shake her until she backs off. Quite funny to see, especially since she's almost twice his size. 30 years ago I had a Lawnmower I hand caught here in Florida. My wife had set a hand mirror on the table next to the tank while answering the phone and had forgotten it there. Shortly thereafter I noticed the Blenny laying over on it's side, shaking like it was having a seizure. Then it started picking up bottom media (we used dolomite back then) and spitting it toward the mirror. He'd spied his reflection, thought it was another Blenny, and went into territory protection mode. As soon as I removed the mirror he calmed right down. Wonderful little creatures who are often overlooked, because they're not "pretty" enough. But to those of us who know them they have their own saving graces.