Flame tail blenny

[Blndbunny]

So I picked up this fish about three months ago from my LFS, I was told he we was a gold tail blenny, researched showed me that they are more commonly known as a flame tail blenny. Anyways we noticed that he had kinda of an odd face shape, a very pronounced nose/snout. We assumed it was a deformity, but he has and amazingly social personality and gave him no issues in eating.

As I've watched him he really does not behave like any blenny I've every seen. He stuffs himself into tiny crevices, and watches the work go by showing off his lovely set of teeth. Honestly he behaves like an eel. He's a smidge bit territorial with our clown but our clown has a good 1"+ on him, and doesn't care.

My research said that he should be an omnivore, and graze on the rock work. He only eats meat, truly carnivorous.

The final odd thing that's got me thinking is that I can't see any scales on him at all, he's very smooth and looks like skin. He is a grey black on his front 2/3 with a bright gold tail, he has one continuous fin from back to fin. Once the lights are up I will try to get a few pics

Does he sound like an actual flame tail blenny or did I end up with something else? He mostly looks one other then the head being not quite right, but behaves nothing like I had expected. Thought?

 

[Snid]

Do you feed your tank any vegetables? If so, sometimes you have to feed the veggies first, wait a while, then add the meats. Have you tried things like Nori or wafers?

 

[Blndbunny]

We have offered a marine veggie flake, my clown picks at it, the other just spits them out and waits for the next feeding

 

[Blndbunny]

However I'm not too worried about him not eating veggies, he fat and happy and doing great, he just behaves like an eel

 

[Blndbunny]

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Blndbunny]

image by jessica_haering, on Flickr

 

[landshark]

It's hard to tell from those picture! But he dose look like an eel.


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[Oxylebius]

So I picked up this fish about three months ago from my LFS, I was told he we was a gold tail blenny, researched showed me that they are more commonly known as a flame tail blenny. Anyways we noticed that he had kinda of an odd face shape, a very pronounced nose/snout. We assumed it was a deformity, but he has and amazingly social personality and gave him no issues in eating.

As I've watched him he really does not behave like any blenny I've every seen. He stuffs himself into tiny crevices, and watches the work go by showing off his lovely set of teeth. Honestly he behaves like an eel. He's a smidge bit territorial with our clown but our clown has a good 1"+ on him, and doesn't care.

This behavior sounds like a blenny. My blenny spends a LOT of time inside snail shells and an empty urchin test, sitting and watching the tank. Territorial behavior is also normal for some species of blenny.

My research said that he should be an omnivore, and graze on the rock work. He only eats meat, truly carnivorous.

Eating behavior will not help determine what the fish is. Captive fish eat different items than in the wild, partly b/c they don't have any other choice and have to eat what is given to them or they starve.

The final odd thing that's got me thinking is that I can't see any scales on him at all, he's very smooth and looks like skin. He is a grey black on his front 2/3 with a bright gold tail, he has one continuous fin from back to fin. Once the lights are up I will try to get a few pics

Does he sound like an actual flame tail blenny or did I end up with something else? He mostly looks one other then the head being not quite right, but behaves nothing like I had expected. Thought?

A full body shot will help to ID the fish w/o any doubt. Your photos only show the front of the fish, so based on what I see and your description, it sounds like it is a Enchelyurus comb-tooth blenny of some type, perhaps the Enchelyurus flavipes, but again I can't see the rest of the body so I can't give you a 100% guarantee on the ID.

Any chance you can take and upload a full body shot?

 

[joy613]

Look up bicolor blenny see if that is the fish. Some fish turn to a meaty food since that is what most foods on the market is based on and don't go back to their natural food.

 

[Oxylebius]

The true blennies are usually elongate, scaleless fishes with long dorsal and anal fins with flexible spines. They are usually bottom-dwellers, and hence the eyes are usually high up on the sides of the head to give them a good view of the surrounding. Most species feed on small invertebrates. There are quite a few blennies with fangs, some fangs are venomous. If bothered by a tank mate they will open their mouths wide & "display" their fangs. This is usually enough to deter any fish from pestering them.

The Bicolor blenny (Ecsenius bicolor) has three color phases and is sometimes mistaken for Enchelyurus flavipes, which I mention above. The three color phases of the bicolor are: one black anteriorly and yellow posteriorly (bicolor phase), the others black dorsally with a broad white lateral band and dusky belly with or without a yellow tail.

Any chance you can post a full shot of the fish? Would like to see fin placement on the back of the fish for better ID.