Tessellated Blenny

Hypsoblennius invemar

Also known as Tesselated Blenny

SaltwaterFish

Tessellated Blenny (Hypsoblennius invemar) — CGMunoz · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–79°F (23–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 2.4 in (6 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Western Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to Brazil)
Family: Blenniidae

Overview

This blenny is peaceful toward unrelated fish, though males can squabble with each other, so keep one unless the tank is large. It spends most of the day at the mouth of its shell or hole and darts out for food. Captive-bred fish accept flakes, pellets and small frozen foods and also pick at algae.

In the wild

In the wild the tessellated blenny lives just below the surface on pilings, buoys and rock ledges from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean south to Brazil, almost always inside a large empty barnacle shell. In the aquarium it adopts a snug hole in the rockwork the same way, and an empty barnacle cluster makes an instant home. A 75 liter tank is enough for one.

Good to know

Hypsoblennius invemar is a combtooth blenny in the family Blenniidae that reaches only about 6 cm. The head is covered in bright orange spots over a blue-green honeycomb pattern, the tessellation behind its name. Males guard clutches of adhesive eggs inside the barnacle shell, and the unusual species name is an acronym honoring INVEMAR, a Colombian marine research institute.

Did you know

In the Gulf of Mexico whole colonies live on the legs of oil platforms, each blenny holding its own barnacle shell with just the spotted head poking out.