Forktail Blenny

The forktail blenny is an elegant fang blenny whose front half is gray-blue and whose rear half and tail are bright yellow, with a blue-edged black line running upward from its eye. Its tail is deeply forked, and in adults the tips extend into long filaments. Thanks to the venomous teeth in its lower jaw, predators do not eat it; for this reason some species, such as the bicolor blenny (Ecsenius bicolor), which has its own page on the site, mimic its colors. In the wild it feeds on zooplankton and small invertebrates on lagoon and outer reefs, on slopes below the surge zone, alone, in pairs or in small groups.

• At least 110 liters; open swimming space.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Reef-safe: it leaves corals, shrimp and snails alone.
• Rocks with small holes where it can spend the night; a lid is recommended.

Carnivorous. It readily accepts frozen mysis, brine shrimp, copepods and fine granule or flake food. Offer small amounts twice a day.

Peaceful and active; it mostly swims in open water. It can be territorial towards its own species and similarly shaped blennies. It uses its venomous teeth only in defense; do not handle the fish with bare hands.

Good companions: Clownfish, chromis, cardinalfish, gobies, dwarf angelfish, tangs, ornamental shrimp.

Avoid: Other Meiacanthus species and the bicolor blenny that mimics it (in a small aquarium), tough damsels, large territorial fish.