What Kind of Blenny is this?

[StephenA]

My wife picked up this guy at the LFS. They said someone brought him in. He cost $10. She put him in my Reef Tank. He likes to eat clam mantles and some SPS. He eats out of her hand and she can rub him! He likes it. He just cost me $300 for his own 10Gal tank.

What is he. He's in none of my books, and yes that's Red Hair on his head.

[RobertG]

I Think I saw one of these in JimNorris's Tank, cool looking guy. Nice Pics.

[StephenA]

He's great until he eats Maxima for dinner!

[RobertG]

Not In Jims Tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bad Fishy!!!!!!! He is a MENACE!!! Wifes tank is a great place.

[Tim Marvin]

I looks like the ones I have from Port A. Really cool fish. I've never had a problem with them eating corals or clams...They look exactly the same though.

[StephenA]

The LFS thought he was from the Texas Coast. I just can't believe he lets my wife pet him.

[Tim Marvin]

They are pretty friendly. Fast when they want to be....

[StephenA]

You have to remove almost everything to catch him. Or chase him into a small rock. He can be lured with food in to the net some times. He seems to like his new tank. He's busy moving the sand around the way he wants it.

[malofish]

If you decide to get rid of him I want him!!! He's like a punk blennie, I've never seen one like that before.

[StephenA]

I tried, my wife wouldn't let me get rid of him. He is definitely a Punk!

[malofish]

Next thing you know there's gonna be graffiti on the tank sides and cigaret butt on the substrate.....do you really want that?? Could be a bad influence on other fish :shock:

[StephenA]

malofish,
Yes we have pet our fish today! I don't guess it will hurt him. He's pretty mean. I was thinking about putting a Tomato Clown in with him. Maybe that will settle him down. In the 72Gal he only messed with inverts. In the nano's he beats up anything.

[malofish]

Thats funny he has Napolian syndrome :-D :-D I had a sailfin tang that would flare up and let me scratch his side!! It was a pretty cool trick! Well if it ever has to go keep me at the top of the list for Blennie adoption.

[StephenA]

I sure will! It's only him and LR now. If he starts eating the rock I'll send him your way.

[malofish]

THAT would make hin a real bad a**!!! I'd call mim skweek!!! He looks like a Skweek!!

[GaryP]

I have an Ichthyology text book for the Gulf Coast. I'll try to remember to bring it to the meeting next week so that you can ID this guy.

Gary

[Richard]

Just a guess, but I think it might be a Molly Miller blenny (Scartella cristata).

[OrionN]

His mouth looks like a meat eater rather than a algae scraper. I got a similar Alenny from the coast also. He rip perfect semi-circular cuts from my clam mantles. Fortunatly, I was ablt to trap him with some frozen Mysis shrimp befor he kill any of my clams. He went back to the LFS here in Corpus. It took 2-3 months before my clams recovered, some still show the scars.
Minh

[Instar]

There are 2 kinds of blennies that are common from under the Port Aransas pier. The other one has a smaller mouth but looks quite similar. I have 2 of these kind and they eat hair algae, flim algae and any fish food thrown at them. As with most blennies, they can eat anything. My bicolored blenny eats SPS sometimes and is especially fond of pink birds nest. Blennies are like that, very unpredictable.

[Instar]

There are 2 kinds of blennies that are common from under the Port Aransas pier. The other one has a smaller mouth but looks quite similar. I have 2 of these kind and they eat hair algae, flim algae and any fish food thrown at them. As with most blennies, they can eat anything. My bicolored blenny eats SPS sometimes and is especially fond of pink birds nest and montipora digitata. Blennies are like that, very unpredictable.

[StephenA]

He rip perfect semi-circular cuts from my clam mantles.

That's what this guy did. One clam died and the other has recovered.