Blennies for the Indian Marine Aquarium: A Category Guide

In this guide

Blennies belong to the family Blenniidae and bring genuine personality to a reef tank: blunt heads, bulging eyes, and in many species, feathery filaments called cirri sprouting above the eyes. Most blennies kept in home aquariums are algae grazers rather than predators, which makes them useful clean up crew members, though it is worth being honest that they are not a substitute for proper nutrient control in the tank. The four species below are among the most commonly available to Indian hobbyists.

Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)

The Lawnmower Blenny has a mottled brown and tan body with pale spots, bulging eyes and feathery cirri, and grows to around 10 to 13 centimetres, making it one of the larger blennies commonly kept. It has earned its name honestly: a healthy adult will graze film and short turf algae off the rockwork all day long in a tank that is producing algae faster than the fish can eat it.

This species needs a tank of 150 litres or more that has been running for at least six to twelve months and already shows visible algae growth on the rock before the fish is added. Standard reef parameters apply, with moderate water flow to reflect the wave-swept rubble zones it comes from in the wild. It is peaceful, though it may spar with similarly patterned blennies or scooter dragonets competing for the same algae patch, and is broadly reef safe, with the caveat that a hungry individual will occasionally nip at coral or clam mantles. The single most important thing to get right with this fish is feeding: once the natural algae in the tank is exhausted, it must be supplemented with nori sheets, spirulina wafers and algae based frozen foods, or the fish will slowly starve. Do not buy a Lawnmower Blenny for a brand new tank or one with little algae to offer. It is an enthusiastic jumper, so a tight lid matters here as much as anywhere.

Tailspot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)

Small at 6 to 7 centimetres, the Tailspot Blenny has a body that shifts from blue to orange, a double stripe across the face, and a distinct black spot at the base of the tail that gives it its name. It is one of the smallest and most peaceful blennies in the hobby and suits nano tanks well.

A tank of 40 litres or more with plenty of live rock to graze and perch on is sufficient, kept within standard reef parameters. It is generally reef safe, though a minority of individuals nip at small polyp stony coral, so it is worth watching a new arrival closely for the first few weeks. Feed algae based flakes or frozen foods alongside natural grazing, and add occasional meaty foods since it cannot live on algae alone. It is hardy and tolerates shipping well compared to many other marine species, which makes it a sound choice for hobbyists in India ordering fish online across long distances.

Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)

Also known as the Flame Tail Blenny, this species has a body that is brown to purplish at the front and fades to orange or yellow toward the rear, reaching about 10 to 11 centimetres. It needs more swimming and grazing room than the smaller blennies covered here, so a tank of 115 litres or more is a sensible minimum.

Standard reef parameters suit it well. It is peaceful with most tankmates, but there is a genuine behavioural risk worth flagging: a Bicolor Blenny that is underfed or kept in cramped quarters can turn aggressive toward corals and clams. Given adequate space and food it is reliably reef safe. Its diet should be mainly vegetable matter, spirulina and chlorella based frozen or dried foods, with small meaty foods added in. A tank with plenty of established live rock for grazing, along with generous hiding holes, goes a long way toward keeping this fish's behaviour in check.

Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)

The Starry Blenny has a dark brown to almost black body scattered with small white to pale blue spots that give it a starry appearance, and it grows to a substantial 12 to 14 centimetres, making it one of the larger blennies available. It needs a mature system of 115 litres or more with an established algae film already present on the rock.

Standard reef parameters apply. This species is semi aggressive and more territorial than the other blennies in this article, so it is best kept as the only blenny in the tank unless the aquarium is genuinely large. It is reef safe with some caution, and it has the useful habit of eating troublesome cyanobacteria and hair algae, which makes it worth considering where those nuisance growths keep coming back. As with the Lawnmower Blenny, it needs a steady supply of algae plus deliberate feeding of spirulina based foods once the initial grazing runs out, since starvation once natural algae is depleted is the main long term risk with this fish.

Article content © S Vejay Anand. All rights reserved.