Please help me identify this blenny

[Angelajean]

Hello,
Can someone help me identify this blenny? We made sure he ate at the LFS before bringing me home. He ate mysis feast this morning at the LFS.

We are setting up our new aquarium as soon as our rock arrives. The lighting arrived today so in a few days he will be in a 40 gallon breeder.

I apologize for the pics. He was hard to photograph. Also his body was white/cream color at the LFS and at home once he got settled, but he was kind of blotchy brown when we were acclimating him.

Thanks,
Angie

 

[FishyReef]

It's really hard to tell with his blotchy colors (which is very common for blennies when they are scared). My very early guesses are midas, bicolor, or a blue & gold blenny (see this link - LA indicates that there is another form of the blue and gold that isn't pictured that has a blue head and yellow body, which I think most closely resembles the pics you posted Blue and Gold Blenny) Regardless, I am fairly certain it is from the Ecsenius genius of blennies given its facial features. If you are able to get a pic in a few days when he doesn't have his blotchy colors that would be very helpful to us in identifying it! Oh, and he's a very cute little guy!

 

[Angelajean]

Okay so here are some more pictures. He does have a fine black line between his dorsal fin and body. His tail is not forked. Orange on tip of his eyelashes and a little on his tail.

He is eating picking stuff off the rocks and near the coral.

Thanks,
Angie

 

[FishyReef]

Give it a few days for him to settle in and really show his true colors. Their coloring is quite different when they are splotchy! I am thinking midas blenny though.

 

[FishyReef]

Could it be this one?
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Reef Aquariums: Two Spot Bimaculatus Blenny

Or try the pics in this link:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/hcs3/index.php

Or this species: Ecsenius aroni (google it and look at the images that result)

 

[Angelajean]

I think he might be a horseface blenny.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Horseface Blenny

A few things that make me think so.

1. When I look on the Live Aquaria's website, the coloration is not exact, but the facial feature looking straight on is pretty close.
2. He also has the continuous dorsal fin.
3. His tail is like a paintbrush when it is wet, my 13 year old's description, which is very accurate.
4. He also has 4 small, branching horns.

Do they change there bodies to white with little color to blend with the area they are in? Do they have a pecking like motion when they eat?

However, last night I put a piece of dried seaweed sheet in the tank and we never saw him eat any. He looked like he was picking at the back wall of the tank. He also was eating something off the rock yesterday and off the alien eye chalice. He did have a spat with Mr. T, our banded serpent star. He has been everywhere in the tank. The weird thing is that he ate pellets, while we were watching at the LFS.

We thought he was a carnivore so I am now concerned if he is an herbivore. I am going to see if I can try some herbivore foods as well.

Are there any plants that I can put in the aquarium that he might eat on?

Thanks,
Angie

 

[Bifferwine]

They are omnivores and will happily eat meaty foods, but they need plant matter in their diets. If he is picking on the glass, he is probably eating the algae. Try the frozen food Emerald Entree and a different brand/color of algae sheets. In a typical tank, they do fine eating the algae off of rocks and glass.

 

[Angelajean]

Thanks Sarah and Fishy for all your help in identifying my blenny. He is a red lipped/horseface blenny, Ophioblennius atlanticus.
Unlike what they say on Live Aquaria, he is an omnivore.
He does eat algae off the rocks and mysis shrimp.

He is so comical and I am sure will be happier when we move him into the bigger tank this weekend.
Angie

 

[FishyReef]

Interesting that it's a horse face, since I don't see the characteristic stripes / coloring of a horse face from the pics you posted. When he finally settles in and you can really see his true colors, would you mind posting another picture of him for me? I'm just really curious to see him in his full glory!

 

[Angelajean]

Sure. Some call the horse face blenny, a red lipped blenny. Ophioblennius Atlanticus

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZzNO51mT6Q]Redlip Blenny (Ophioblennius atlanticus) - YouTube[/ame]

He looks somewhat like the second one.

I will post more pictures later on this thread.
Thanks,
Angie

 

[Angelajean]

Re: Please help me identify this blenny (MORE PICS)

Here are a few more pics.

 

[Angelajean]

Sorry they didn't load right first.
Thanks,
Angie

 

[little_fish]

cute dude!

 

[FishyReef]

Ah, he definitely looks like the horse-faced blenny in these pics!! Thanks for posting!

 

[Angelajean]

You guys rock. Oh and by the way, the info at various sites say he is an herbivore but I am here to say you were right and he is an omnivore.
Thanks so much,
Angie

 

[Bifferwine]

They are called herbivores because they only need plant matter to survive -- they don't need meat. But just like tangs and rabbitfish, (which are also technically herbivores), they will eat meaty foods if they are available. Every herbivorous fish I've ever had has not strictly been herbivorous and has eaten meaty foods as well. I guess it's just a difference between what they need to survive and what they are willing to eat. Blennies, tangs and rabbitfish all act like omnivores in our tanks.

 

[austingunkel]

My blenny has amazing colors that didn't show for a few days , but he is very active and my favorite fish in my tank.