So a few weeks ago I introduced a lawnmower blenny into my (currently small) display tank. I think it's a he, and so far he's a small one, about 2 inches long right now.
At first he was much more skittish than other fish I've had - e.g. my ocellaris clowns or royal gramma. I think he's about as skittish as my yellowheaded jawfish or firefish - generally stays away, and upon introduction hid for days. Now he's willing to come out when I'm around, but often will hide if I stay around watching it for a while. (to including photographing it).
He hasn't really made a huge dent in my GHA population, but I see patches cleared out and I see him grazing several times a day. Most importantly, since I took him out of QT his belly is always VERY VERY round, meaning he's constantly gorging himself.
I notice that he LOVES flow, at "sunset" especially, he often goes straight into the flow of an MP40 for a short time, several times an evening. I think he's doing this to exercise (work off his belly
).
I suspect these fish live in tide pools, or in the reef crest/reef flat where there's abundant GHA and flow. They probably jump from rock to rock and patch to patch. I suspect when tide is low they also can jump and move between tide pools for a short distance: their body shape is well suited for that, similar to mudskippers and the like. But most of all, when I had him in the acclimation box, after a few days he literally jumped out of it. I thought he died and somehow the CUC got him, but after a day I saw him swimming about.
A pic - sorry it's not that great.
At first he was much more skittish than other fish I've had - e.g. my ocellaris clowns or royal gramma. I think he's about as skittish as my yellowheaded jawfish or firefish - generally stays away, and upon introduction hid for days. Now he's willing to come out when I'm around, but often will hide if I stay around watching it for a while. (to including photographing it).
He hasn't really made a huge dent in my GHA population, but I see patches cleared out and I see him grazing several times a day. Most importantly, since I took him out of QT his belly is always VERY VERY round, meaning he's constantly gorging himself.
I notice that he LOVES flow, at "sunset" especially, he often goes straight into the flow of an MP40 for a short time, several times an evening. I think he's doing this to exercise (work off his belly
). I suspect these fish live in tide pools, or in the reef crest/reef flat where there's abundant GHA and flow. They probably jump from rock to rock and patch to patch. I suspect when tide is low they also can jump and move between tide pools for a short distance: their body shape is well suited for that, similar to mudskippers and the like. But most of all, when I had him in the acclimation box, after a few days he literally jumped out of it. I thought he died and somehow the CUC got him, but after a day I saw him swimming about.
A pic - sorry it's not that great.
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