Starry Blenny Review

Almost 2 years ago, I started my tank and one of it's first inhabitants was a Starry Blenny. I took him home and my cousin [not a fish guy] though he was called a Benny. So that became his name.

Benny the Blenny was very quickly a favorite addition to the tank.



A few months after Benny moved in I had a heater break and heat my tank to 97 degrees before I got home from work... it killed 80% of life in my tank. Only survivors were Pistol/Goby, Clownfish, female Leopard Wrasse [male died], and Benny the Blenny. So he is a very hardy fish.

Starry Blenny's have a much improved ability to change colors [much more than their other Blenny cousins], they are virtual chameleons. His color-changing abilities are remarkable... second only to those of squids/octopus IMO. He can change his entire body from an 'off-white' to 'solid black' and any pattern in between he wants. Its a cool spectacle to witness, however once he gets comfortable in your tank he dons a particular 'suit' to his liking and tends to stick with that color scheme. Every now and again I catch him 'exercising' the ability and watch him shift his entire body to different patterns - amazing fish!



One of the things I find so fascinating about this fish is how he perches on rock and in nooks and crannies throughout the tank. He is the biggest fish in my 55g tank at a stout 5+ inches long... and when he emerges from hiding in plain sight guests are in awe of this "giant" fish that was in front of their eyes the whole time!

In keeping with the Starry Blenny's "hide in plain sight and perch silently waiting" gameplan... his eyes have the ability to move independently, again, like a chameleon. I find that Benny is usually watching me before I'm aware of him...



And oh do they have a lot of personality. He is humorous at times how he will always try different "hiding spots" and sometimes he is the most blatant obvious thing in the world... like when he is "hiding" on my coral as seen below... Cracks me up.



He is also the "keeper of his realm". He exercises control over both the aquascape and it's inhabitants.

Aquascape - much like his other blenny cousins, Starry Blenny's will move around their [your] landscape to their own liking, pushing giant things around and trying to make new caves... or just 'knocking' them off the top of your structure to make a more preferred perching spot.

He is tenacious, but I've found that I am more stubborn. If I put a new coral in and he doesn't like it where I've placed it, he will knock it over...and over...and over. It will take 3-4 days, but every time he knocks it over I replace it, and eventually he'll give up.

Inhabitants - Benny the Blenny "polices" everyone in the tank, whenever someone tries to pull rank, whether a feisty Flame Angel, a Foxface Rabbitfish, or a Leopard Wrasse... Benny flies in to settle the score and then proceeds to keep an eye on the aggressor very obviously for a few minutes... He really does "keep the peace"! Cool to watch.

He is also reef safe [except when he knocks over corals while "re-decorating"].

His eating habits lean mostly toward herbovore status, he grazes on algae on the glass. And when I feed my fish their 'veggies' [like in the first photo] Benny will graze on that as well. He readily accepts most any meaty frozen food offerings I give him, and pellet food as well. Good eater, so no worries on starvation.

Some More pics of the species from google.

This is how mine looks when he is 'comfortable'



And how he looks when he's 'excited'



Some more excerpts showing his chamelion like abilities...



And a video showing how he can change his entire body (and face if he wanted) to an "off-white"

Starry blenny (Salarias ramosus) courtship colors - YouTube

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Good info and I enjoyed his story

That pic of him on the Zoas (Or Palys, I don't even know half of the time lol) cracked me up as well

Do you know if they like to jump out of tanks? I'm thinking of getting one for my 52 gallon.

 

Well he has the power to jump out of the tank, so technically he could if he wanted...

but their personality doesn't lend themselves to swimming up high near the surface, its too vulnerable... they stick to the lower levels and rockwork.... except for the occasional 'perching spot' on the filter or powerhead...

The only other time when I have seen him up near the surface was when he was exercising I think... he was swimming from one side to the other of my tank along the same route over and over... doing particular figure 8's around obsticles. Funny to watch, but I never assumed he would jump out.

I do keep my aquarium covered though...

 

I have a lawnmower blenny he does a good job but I wish I would have gone with a starry for looks

 

Yeah, I'd be scared to have him without a top, so that's a "no" for now. It sounds like Benny has quite the personality ;D

 

Great write up thank you!