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Related FAQs: Ecsenius
Blennies, Ecsenius Identification,
Ecsenius Behavior,
Ecsenius Compatibility, Ecsenius Selection,
Ecsenius Systems,
Ecsenius Feeding, Ecsenius Disease,
Ecsenius Reproduction, True Blennies:
True
Blennies, Saber-Tooth
Blennies, Blenny Identification,
Blenny Behavior, Blenny
Compatibility, Blenny Selection,
Blenny Systems, Blenny
Feeding, Blenny Disease,
Blenny Reproduction, Blennioids & their Relatives,
Algae-eating Blennies,
Related Articles: Combtooth
Blennies, Algae
Eating Blennies,
Blennioids
and their Relatives, Sabertooth Blennies,
Family Blenniidae/Tribe Nemophini, Algae Control,
Triplefin Blennioids,
/The Conscientious Marine Aquarist
Combtooth
Blennies of the Genus Ecsenius
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By Bob Fenner |
Ecsenius stictus |
The genus Ecsenius deserves
special attention in the family Blenniidae; with forty seven species these are delightful,
small (to four inches) fishes that do superbly well in peaceful fish, invertebrate and
reef systems.
The quintessential member of the genus is the Midas Blenny
Ecsenius midas, with changeable yellow, purple, brown and pink & blue. The
Midas is a good assay organism as they exhibit rapid and extreme color changes when
stressed. Considered to be a mimic of the Coralfish Pseudanthias squamipinnis among
other Basslets over it's wide range, this little beauty is very un-blenny-like in its
disposition to stay out from cover hiding amongst its adopted "school".
Two other favored Ecsenius are the orange and
purple Bicolor, E. bicolor, and the gorgeous yellow and blue E. gravieri.
| Ecsenius axelrodi (Springer 1988), Axelrod's Blenny.
Western Pacific; Admiralty Islands, PNG, Solomons. To three inches in
length. This one hanging out on a sponge in Bunaken/Manado in Sulawesi/Indonesia. |
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| Ecsenius gravieri Pellegrin 1906, the Red Sea Mimic
Blenny. Western Indian Ocean; Red Sea, Gulf of Aden. To 8 cm. Mimic of
Meiacanthus nigrolineatus (see page of Fangblennies). Na'ama Bay, Sharm
image. |
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| Ecsenius lineatus (Klausewitz 1962), the Linear
Blenny. Indo-West Pacific; Mauritius to the Philippines. To three and a
half inches in length. This image shot in the Maldives. Another beautiful
member of the genus well-suited for aquarium use. |
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| Ecsenius mandibularis McCulloch 1923, the Queensland
Blenny. Only found in the southern part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
To three inches. This one off of Heron Island. |
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| Ecsenius midas Starck 1969, the Midas or Persian
Blenny. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to the Marquesas. To about five inches in
length. At right, a specimen in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas, Polynesia. Below: Sometimes found in association with the Basslet Pseudanthias
squamipinnis (at right), which it resembles, feeding on zooplankton.
Aquarium, Fiji, aquarium images. |
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| Ecsenius nalolo Smith 1959, the Nalolo. Western
Indian Ocean; Red Sea down African coast. To two and a half inches in
length. This image made in the upper Red Sea. |
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| Ecsenius opsifrontalis Chapman & Schultz 1952.
Pacific; Micronesia to Samoa. To two inches in length. This one outside
its known range (or a mis-id!) in Pulau Redang, Malaysia.
Re: A nice Ecsenius opsifrontalis pic
Bob:
You should get Springer's paper (1988) on Ecsenius (Smiths. Contr. Zool.
number 465, with 14 color plates. E. opsifrontalis is now a complex of
species.
Aloha, Jack (Dr. Randall)
<Thank you for this Jack. Will post your input on the coverage on our site: WetWebMedia.com on the True Blennies
FAQs. Bob Fenner>
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| Ecsenius stictus Springer 1988, the Great Barrier
Reef Blenny. Endemic. To a maximum of 5.8 cm. This one of many off of the
Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia. |
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