Orange-spotted Blenny

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Tropical Indo-Pacific: from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, and south to Australia. Frequents the intertidal zone and wave-swept rocky reefs at depths of 0 to 6 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Blenniidae. Features an elongated, scaleless body with small branched cirri above the eyes. Grows up to 13 cm in total length.

Social Behavior: Solitary and highly tied to its rocky territory. Spends days perched on rockwork, only darting off to graze on nearby algae.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Light grey or cream body adorned with longitudinal rows of small, bright orange or rust-colored spots. Adult males exhibit a slightly more developed dorsal fin.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a tank of at least 150 liters with abundant mature live rock showing good algae coverage. A secure lid is mandatory as the species is prone to jumping.

Diet and Feeding: Herbivorous. Demands continuous grazing surfaces. Supplement with commercial vegetable-based foods (spirulina, nori sheets, specific pellets). Accepts frozen foods occasionally.

Water Quality: Keep parameters highly stable. Temperature 22-27°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.026. GH 15-25. Good biological filtration is essential.

Compatibility and Tankmates: 100% reef safe. Perfect for reef systems. May show aggression toward other blennies or benthic fish invading its grazing rocks. Keep singly.

Aquarium Reproduction: Captive spawning is undocumented. In nature, deposits adhesive benthic eggs in crevices guarded by the male.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation in newly set-up or sterile tanks lacking microalgae. Highly sensitive to nitrate levels and copper treatments.