Bicolor Blennie Eating Monti

[ron garnett]

I have a suspicion that my bicolor blennie is eating my encrusting monti. I thought the bicolor blennie ate only algae but, I'm almost certain it's attacking my monti. It tends to hang out in the coral, poking its head out through the openings. It's favorite spot. I haven't seen it actually eating
the coral but, small white areas on the monti continue to multiply. The coral itself is pretty healthy so, it's not bleaching. Am I falsely accusing this rascal or could it be the culprit.?

 

[35ppt]

Redacted

 

[Sosuke]

Ecsenius blennys will "pick" at corals but IME it's not damaging. Just eating some of the mucus. Any photos of the damage? Are you able to pick it up and inspect for monti eating nudibranchs? Parameters?

+1 check for nudibranchs

 

[Pbh-reef]

I had a pictus blenny eat away at my acan - definitely ate the coral itself, I’ve seen others have the same experience

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Escenius blenies are notorious nippers.

 

[mort]

I've seen ecsenius blennies rasp away large amounts of flesh from smooth corals like Montis and favia. Unfortunately it's a trait that generally doesn't dissappear and my dot dash blenny now lives with only soft corals because of it.
It should be easy to tell if it's fish damage versus nudis by the fact nudis eat the edges and fish will munch all over leaving characteristic spotting.

 

[Nathan Milender]

I have not seen mine pick at coral but it does eat meat when the tank is fed. Mine is mostly defending it's favorite hole from the other blennies. Give it something else to worry about, get more blennies.

 

[ThRoewer]

I've seen ecsenius blennies rasp away large amounts of flesh from smooth corals like Montis and favia. Unfortunately it's a trait that generally doesn't dissappear and my dot dash blenny now lives with only soft corals because of it.
It should be easy to tell if it's fish damage versus nudis by the fact nudis eat the edges and fish will munch all over leaving characteristic spotting.

I had a bicolor blenny that did the same also to the smooth undersides of my branching Acropora. He caused enough damage for me to order tiny Japanese hooks and go fishing for him...
Not a truly reef-safe fish, at least not with SPS.

 

[najer]

Mine to a liking to my digis and was removed.

 

[Pbh-reef]

It seems like people have better luck with the tailspot blenny

 

[ron garnett]

I had a tailspot blenny once and it did very well. I may catch this bi-color blenny (if I can) and take it to my LFS and trade it for another tailspot blenny.

 

[TeotheCoral]

I had a tailspot blenny once and it did very well. I may catch this bi-color blenny (if I can) and take it to my LFS and trade it for another tailspot blenny.

No no no...you catch the bicolored blenny and you send it straight to me ya hear?