TankBud

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
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Blenniidae
Origin
Western Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to Brazil)

Overview

The tessellated blenny spends most of the day at the mouth of its shell or hole, darting out for food. It is a peaceful, easy blenny for a saltwater reef tank.

Did you know

In the Gulf of Mexico, whole colonies of tessellated blennies live on the legs of oil platforms. Each one holds its own barnacle shell, with just the spotted head poking out.

Caring for the tessellated blenny

Give one tessellated blenny at least 20 gal (75 L). It adopts a snug hole in the rockwork, and an empty barnacle cluster makes an instant home.

Hold the water at 73 to 79°F (23 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Captive-bred fish accept flakes, pellets and small frozen foods, and they also pick at algae.

The tessellated blenny is peaceful toward unrelated fish and reef safe. Males can squabble with each other, so keep one unless the tank is large. Males guard clutches of adhesive eggs inside their barnacle shell, and breeding takes some experience.

Good to know

Hypsoblennius invemar is a combtooth blenny in the family Blenniidae. Its head is covered in bright orange spots over a blue-green honeycomb pattern, the tessellation behind its name. The unusual species name is an acronym honoring INVEMAR, a Colombian marine research institute.

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. It almost always lives inside a large empty barnacle shell.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The tessellated blenny is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a tessellated blenny need?

A tessellated blenny needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a tessellated blenny need?

A tessellated blenny is comfortable at 73–79°F (23–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a tessellated blenny eat?

Captive-bred tessellated blennies accept flakes, pellets and small frozen foods. They also pick at algae.

How big does a tessellated blenny get?

An adult tessellated blenny reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does a tessellated blenny breed?

Males guard clutches of adhesive eggs inside their barnacle shell. Breeding tessellated blennies takes some experience.

Related species