Midas Blenny

The Midas blenny stands apart from its relatives with its body, which ranges from golden yellow to orange, and its lyre-shaped tail. Like most blennies it pokes its head out of rock holes, but unlike them it also often swims in open water, picking plankton from the water column. In the wild it mingles with schools of orange anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) and takes on a similar appearance; this mimicry helps protect it from predators.

It is hardy, switches easily to prepared foods and is loved for its full-of-personality behavior. Its color varies by region; yellow-orange individuals are the most common. It does not harm fish or shrimp; when in danger it backs into its den tail first, leaving only its head outside.

It lives on reef slopes from the Red Sea to the eastern Pacific. It adopts a hole in rock or coral as its den, and during the day it leaves the den to pick plankton in the water column together with anthias schools.

• Volume: at least 150 liters; there should be both open swimming space and a rock structure with holes.
• Water: salinity 1.023–1.026 specific gravity, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Reef compatibility: reef safe; most individuals leave corals and invertebrates alone.
• Layout: live rock full of small holes to poke its head out of; ready-made rock pieces with holes also work.
• Flow: it likes moderate to strong flow; it catches food drifting in the water in the current.
• Lid: it may jump when startled; a lid is recommended.

Omnivorous, and it eats more plankton than other Ecsenius species. Use frozen mysis, brine shrimp, copepods and granules as the staple; add foods containing algae as well. Twice a day.

Generally peaceful; it can be territorial toward other blennies and similarly shaped fish. In an aquarium with an anthias school, swimming along with them shows its natural behavior. With its curiosity as it waits at the entrance of its den and its facial expressions, it is one of the eye-catching fish in the aquarium.

Good companions: anthias, clownfish, chromis, cardinalfish, gobies, tangs, cleaner shrimp.

Avoid: other blennies (in a small aquarium), aggressive dottybacks, large predators.

Kept as a single individual. A second fish of its own species can only be tried in a very large aquarium, added at the same time; territorial fights usually break out.

The male sets up a nest in a hole; the female lays her eggs on the wall of the nest and the male guards them until they hatch. Breeding in the aquarium is rare, and raising the planktonic larvae requires expertise.

• A hardy species; it is normal for it to hide for a few days in a new aquarium.
• Fish fed only dry food may lose color; do not neglect frozen foods.
• Marine white spot and velvet: quarantine new fish.
• Jumping: a risk in an uncovered aquarium.

There is no reliable external difference.