Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius Stigmatura)

Also Known As: Tailspot Coral Blenny, Stigma Blenny

Compatibility and Behavior
The Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura) is all personality. This little fish has a slender, torpedo-shaped body running a blue-to-orange gradient from head to tail, a bold black spot at the tail base, and a black-and-yellow "eyeshadow" band beneath each eye, but the real charm is the face: big, frog-like eyes and tiny whisker cirri that give it a comical, almost cartoonish expression as it perches and watches the tank go by. It's fully reef safe and peaceful, an ideal pick for nano to mid-size reefs, and it earns its keep as a grazer, spending its day perched on rock or glass, tail flicking, then darting out to pick at film algae. It tends to become a visible, endearing character rather than a fish that hides all day. It can get territorial toward other blennies or similarly shaped rock perchers, especially in smaller tanks, so keep it one per tank unless the system is large with abundant rockwork to divide into territories.

Aquarium Requirements
This is an easy, nano-friendly grazer, so the setup is simple, with one thing worth getting right. Because it's a primary algae grazer that spends much of its time cleaning rock faces, it does best in an established tank with natural film and light turf algae growth to work over, rather than a brand-new setup. Give it a system around 10 to 20 gallons or larger with plenty of live rock for grazing and perching, and numerous caves, crevices, and ledges so it can retreat when startled and claim favorite perches. A tight-fitting lid or mesh top is essential, since blennies are known jumpers that slip through small gaps. Stable, reef-standard water and gentle to moderate flow round it out, and you can supplement its grazing with nori, spirulina-based pellets and flakes, and the occasional small frozen food like mysis or enriched brine.

Specifications
Approximate Size: 1–2"
Diet: Herbivore and omnivore; grazes film and light hair algae on rock and glass, supplemented with nori, spirulina-based pellets and flakes, and occasional small frozen foods like mysis and enriched brine shrimp
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Care Level: Easy
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Special Considerations: A primary algae grazer that does best in an established tank with natural film algae, supplemented with nori or spirulina foods; may be territorial toward other blennies or similarly shaped fish in smaller tanks, so best kept one per tank; can jump, so a tight-fitting lid is essential