Barnacle Blenny Care

ArowanaLover1902 · Apr 23, 2018

I just picked up 3 barnacle blennies from the LFS today (that was all they had, i just asked for every one). They are my new favorites, I'm considering dropping every other fish and just doing these little guys. Each one has found a little rock hole and just sits there with its head poked out. When there is food they dart faster than any other tiny fish I've ever seen to get it and rush back to their hole. I've got three, I'm considering about 20 and a clean up crew, I feel like with that many I could maybe get a bit of breeding going on (my tank is pretty stable generally, I feel like maybe its possible) and hopefully that would semi sustain the population (they only live for about 1.5-2 years). I'll post pictures later but they are awesome fish that seem really hardy, they found homes really fast, avoided my nippy clownfish, and are already taking pellets. Any other barnacle blenny keepers that can send some advice my way?

eatbreakfast · Apr 24, 2018

They may spawn, but the babies won't grow up. As far as I know baby barnacle blennies have not been raised in captivity.

ArowanaLover1902 · Apr 24, 2018

Well thats too bad, I'd love to try though

rich nyc · Apr 24, 2018

put me on your wait list as a buyer

ArowanaLover1902 · Apr 24, 2018

Man if I could breed them I'd probably just be giving them away, I'm pretty bad at that type of stuff though. Still I guess from now on I'll be focusing on them and if they do spawn I'll use info from similar species for raising the fry, or just give them to an experienced breeder at my LFS, maybe trade them for coral and some of the hatched babies.

Brian1f1 · Apr 24, 2018

I have three myself. Very cool little fish.

saltyhog · Apr 24, 2018

Which species do you have? Both Acanthemblemaria hancocki and Ekemblemaria myersi are known as barnacle blennies.

I have two of each in two different tanks. The smaller A. hancocki are more colorful and are my favorite of the two. The E. myersi are very similar in behavior in my tanks.

Katrina71 · Apr 25, 2018

saltyhog said:
Which species do you have? Both Acanthemblemaria hancocki and Ekemblemaria myersi are known as barnacle blennies.

I have two of each in two different tanks. The smaller A. hancocki are more colorful and are my favorite of the two. The E. myersi are very similar in behavior in my tanks.

Can you post pics? I'm fish shopping

Plauri55 · Apr 25, 2018

Here is one of my three.

Baldguy · Apr 25, 2018

saltyhog said:
Which species do you have? Both Acanthemblemaria hancocki and Ekemblemaria myersi are known as barnacle blennies.

I have two of each in two different tanks. The smaller A. hancocki are more colorful and are my favorite of the two. The E. myersi are very similar in behavior in my tanks.

A. balanorum is another "barnacle blenny". It has a maroon face. That's the one I'm looking for.

saltyhog · Apr 25, 2018

Baldguy said:
A. balanorum is another "barnacle blenny". It has a maroon face. That's the one I'm looking for.

Those are cool looking! I haven't seen those offered on LA where I got my Panamic and Eye Brow's. You gotta post some pictures when you get them (and let us know where you found them.....after the fact!).

Baldguy · Apr 25, 2018

saltyhog said:
Those are cool looking! I haven't seen those offered on LA where I got my Panamic and Eye Brow's. You gotta post some pictures when you get them (and let us know where you found them.....after the fact!).

Among the Reef lists them but they are out of stock. In my searches it looks like many sites are not sure of what they have or group all barnacle blennies together as one and find the best pic. As far as I know the balanorum is the only one with the maroon face. You'd think they would be more common as they are found on the west coast of Mexico down to Panama and Columbia.