[Ebook] Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish – Directory of Marine Fish – Blennies and Mandarinfish

Directory of Marine Fish

Blennies and Mandarinfish

The members of these two families have similar care requirements, and they can even be kept together in the same tank, alongside invertebrates and placid fish, such as seahorses and pipefish. It is important that blennies and mandarinfish are not harried by their tankmates, because they will produce an unpleasant, protective slime from their bodies to deter assailants. Some blennies have evolved the predatory trick of copying the appearance of cleaner wrasse (see p.268) and then biting chunks out of fish expecting to be cleaned.

Mandarin Fish (Pterosynchiropus splendidus)

• ORIGINS: The western Pacific region, off the coast of Southeast Asia and China, extending up to Japan.
• SIZE: 2 1⁄2 in (6 cm).
• DIET: Live brine shrimp and thawed foods.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Males are aggressive.

Be prepared to provide copious amounts of live foods if you choose Mandarin Fish. They really need to be kept in well-established reef tanks so that they can forage for their natural prey of small invertebrates. If housed together, male Mandarin Fish are likely to fight, but males can be identified easily, as they have an extended fin ray at the front of the dorsal fin. No two individuals have matching body patterning.

Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus)

• ORIGINS: The western Pacific region, extending down to the northern coast of Australia.
• SIZE: 2 3⁄4 in (7 cm).
• DIET: Live brine shrimp and thawed foods.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Males are aggressive.

Wildly spotted body patterning distinguishes this species. The spots are made up of concentric rings, set against a greenish background. As they comb the algae-covered rocks, these fish suck in tiny microbes, expelling particles of mud via their gills. Keep the tank covered, because it is not unknown for Mandarins to leap out of the water. Aquarium spawnings are very rare. The eggs develop near the water’s surface.

Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)

• ORIGINS: From the Maldives, in the Indo-Pacific, and eastward to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
• SIZE: 4 in (10 cm).
• DIET: Small live foods and algae.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Not aggressive to unrelated fish.

The Bicolor Blenny is difficult to describe because its appearance differs not only between populations but also during the breeding period, when the males display a red-and-white barred patterning before turning blue with white flank markings. The females are yellow. These blennies can be housed in a reef tank, where they will browse on algae and will often be seen resting on top of a favored rocky outcrop.

Forktail Blenny (Meiacanthus atrodorsalis)

• ORIGINS: The coast of East Africa through the IndoPacific, north to Japan and south to northern Australia.
• SIZE: 3 in (7.5 cm).
• DIET: Small live foods and algae.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Not aggressive to unrelated fish.

This blenny is bluish-green on the head and becomes yellowish toward the tail, often with some black striping. Its small size makes it look harmless, but the Forktail has specialized teeth that enable it to inject venom when it bites. Most predatory fish recognize the Forktail’s coloration and tend to leave it alone. Some other species mimic this blenny’s appearance in order to gain protection for themselves. Beware: the Forktail’s venom is also painful to people.

Smith’s Sawtail Blenny (Meiacanthus smithi)

• ORIGINS: Restricted to northern and western parts of the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa.
• SIZE: 3 1⁄2 in (9 cm).
• DIET: Small live foods and algae.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Not aggressive to unrelated fish.

Smith’s Sawtail has a pale grayish-white coloration, with a pinkish hue on the underparts and a prominent black stripe running along the top of the body down to the eye. The sawtail effect is produced by the darker markings in the caudal fin. As with other Meiacanthus species, Smith’s Sawtail has a functional swim bladder, so it can control its buoyancy effectively. This blenny is therefore quite active by nature, but it still prefers not to venture far from the security of its rocky habitat.

Atlantic Fanged Blenny (Ophioblennius atlanticus)

• ORIGINS: The Caribbean region, from Florida down to the northern coast of South America.
• SIZE: 4 3⁄4 in (12 cm).
• DIET: Algae plus small live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Highly territorial.

The coloration of these blennies is variable and is influenced in part by the background. The lips are invariably red, as are the edges of the dorsal fin. While the pelvic fins are yellowish, the body itself tends to be quite dark. These fish lack scales on their bodies. The Atlantic Fanged Blenny belongs to a group called the combtooth blennies, so named because their teeth resemble those of a comb. They establish territories, which they will defend against all fish.

Jeweled Rockskipper (Salarias fasciatus)

• ORIGINS: From East Africa throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia and Japan.
• SIZE: 4 in (10 cm).
• DIET: Small live foods and algae.
• WATER: Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
• TEMPERAMENT: Not aggressive to unrelated fish.

A combination of mottled light and brown bands running down the sides of the body help to break up the Jeweled Rockskipper’s outline. The long dorsal fin is similarly patterned, while the outer part of the eye has spokelike markings. As their name suggests, Jeweled Rockskippers inhabit the lower reaches of the aquarium, where they blend in well against rockwork. They will dart back quickly into a nearby crevice if danger threatens.

TESTING THE WATER

One of the characteristics of many blennies, including this Orange-Spot Blenny (Blenniella chrysospilos), is the presence of sensory feelers, known as cirri, on the top of the head. The branched structure of the cirri may help these blennies detect local currents, or water movements that may indicate the approach of a predator. Looking much like part of the coral reef, these feelers probably also help to disguise the fish when they are at rest. The shape of the cirri is identical between members of the same species, but it is not consistent throughout the group as a whole.

[Ebook] Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish – David Alderton (Photo by Max Gibbs)