Barnacle Blenny

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Eastern Pacific: from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands. Found in shallow coral reefs, frequently occupying empty tubeworm holes and barnacle shells.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Family Chaenopsidae, genus Acanthemblemaria. Tiny body with a prominent head decorated with fleshy branching tentacles (cirri). Grows to 5.0 cm.

Social Behavior: Curious and territorial regarding its chosen tube. Spends most of its time with its head sticking out of the burrow, watching for prey.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Known for its entertaining behavior of darting out of its tube to grab food and backing in tail-first. No pronounced dimorphism; nesting males may display darker heads and aggressive display posturing.

Aquarium Setup: Perfect for nano reefs. Requires a tank of at least 40.0 liters with porous live rock or coral skeletons containing small, tight holes.

Diet and Feeding: Planktivore. Feed small frozen foods like brine shrimp and copepods directly in front of its hiding spot using a pipette.

Water Quality: Standard marine conditions: temperature 22.0-26.0 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.020-1.025.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: 100% reef-safe. Peaceful with other micro-fish. Avoid larger or aggressive species that might treat it as prey.

Aquarium Breeding: Oviparous. Eggs are deposited inside the tube shelter and guarded by the male. Rearing pelagic larvae in captivity is highly complex.

Risks and Diseases: Very hardy. The main challenge is providing appropriate micro-holes in the rockwork for the fish to occupy.