All fish / Blenniidae

Midas Blenny

Ecsenius midas

Also known as lyretail blenny, golden blenny, persian blenny, midas combtooth blenny, yellow midas blenny, ミダスブレニー, 金色鳚, 米达斯鳚

A slim golden-orange combtooth blenny with a lyre-shaped tail and a blue ring around the eye, though its colour can shift to match the anthias shoals it mimics in the wild. Unlike most blennies it swims openly in midwater to feed on plankton, then retreats tail first into a rock hole, which gives it plenty of character. It is hardy and generally safe with corals.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly or as a mated pair; one per tank unless very large

Diet

Omnivore: frozen mysis and brine shrimp, quality marine flakes and pellets, plus some algae-based foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 7 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Marquesas, north to southern Japan

Breeding

It lays eggs in a cave or hole, and the male guards them until they hatch. Spawning sometimes happens in home aquariums, but rearing the tiny planktonic larvae is difficult and seldom achieved.

Good to know

It may pick at clam mantles or soft coral polyps now and then, and it can be territorial towards other blennies or fish of similar shape. Use a tight-fitting lid because it can jump.