All fish / Blenniidae

Starry Blenny

Salarias ramosus

Also known as starry blenny, starry rockskipper, rock blenny, starry jeweled blenny, ホシカエルウオ, 星点鳚, 星斑鳚

A dark brown to grey blenny covered in small white spots, with branched cirri above the eyes and a long dorsal fin. It perches on rock and grazes nuisance film algae, which makes it a useful and characterful addition to reef aquariums.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; one per tank unless it is very large

Diet

Herbivore: grazes film algae on live rock, supplemented with nori, spirulina and algae-based frozen or prepared foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, northern Australia

Breeding

Pairs lay adhesive eggs in a cave or crevice that the male guards. Captive spawning is rare and rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult.

Good to know

It needs a mature tank with plenty of algae-covered rock and can starve in new or overly clean systems. It may fight with other blennies or similar-shaped bottom dwellers.