Red Sea Mimic Blenny

Ecsenius gravieri

Also known as Gravier's Blenny, Mimic Blenny, Red Sea Mimic Combtooth Blenny

SaltwaterFish

Red Sea Mimic Blenny (Ecsenius gravieri) — Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe with caution
Origin: Endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, grazing algae from hard reef surfaces on coastal reefs.
Family: Blenniidae

Overview

A 75 litre or larger tank with mature live rock suits it, kept at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4. It is reef safe with caution, since it may nip small polyp stony corals and clam mantles. Offer plenty of algae and vegetable based foods along with small meaty items, since it grazes for much of the day. It is peaceful and generally keeps to itself in the tank.

In the wild

The Red Sea mimic blenny has a blue front, a yellow rear, and a dark stripe through the eye. It perches on rock and coral, hopping about to graze film algae. Its color pattern closely copies the venomous blackline fang blenny that shares its range. Predators that have learned to avoid the fang blenny leave the harmless mimic alone.

Good to know

Ecsenius gravieri is a combtooth blenny in the family Blenniidae, endemic to the Red Sea region. It is a textbook case of Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species copies a dangerous one for protection. Its model, Meiacanthus nigrolineatus, has a venomous bite that this blenny lacks.