Convict Blenny

Care

The Convict Blenny is a hardworking, sociable species that is best kept in groups of 3 or more. Juvenile markings closely mimic those of the venomous Striped Eel Catfish (Plotosus lineatus), whereas the cryptic adults are black with bold yellow stripes and blotches. The tank must be spacious to accommodate these large-growing fish. As they are superb diggers, do ensure that all rockwork is secure and cannot be undermined by their extensive tunnel digging; one way of doing this is to forward plan for these fish and place your rockwork before adding substrate to the tank. Peaceful in nature, Convict Blennies should get on with most other fish in the aquarium, provided that they are not small enough to be regarded as "bite size" and not overly aggressive. Concerning invertebrate compatibility, larger specimens will prey on ornamental shrimp, worms, and crustaceans, and it is wise to place corals off the bottom of the aquarium so that they do not become accidentally buried with sand during the Convict Blenny's digging activity. This burrowing behaviour is fascinating to observe and can be very beneficial in keeping the substrate turned over. Convict Blennies are "scale-less" and as such do not tolerate chemical treatments very well at all. It is best to keep on top of water quality to ensure that these aren't necessary. It is a shame that many dealers seem to retail Convict Blennies as single specimens; do try to secure yourself a good sized group and they will reward you with some very interesting natural behaviour. To sum up: an intriguing marine oddball species, which would be a great addition to those large peaceful aquaria that are without small inverts and tiny fish.

Feeding

Will consume a wide range of meaty fare including Mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, chopped krill/prawns/cockle etc. If reluctant to feed at first, use a turkey baster to direct some food lower down in the tank to where the Convict Blennies may be hiding in a cave. Feed small amounts 3 times per day.

Breeding

This species has been bred in captivity. Spawning is said to take place within a preferred cave system, and youngsters can number 400+. The fry are protected by the parents for the first 6 weeks.