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Forktail Blenny
Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith
Blennies
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Meiacanthus atrodorsalis

Forktail Blenny

Quick Stats:   Forktail Blenny

Family: Blenniidae
Range: Indo-Pacific
Size: Up to 5 inches
Diet: Omnivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Coral or rock, plants
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Minimum Tank Capacity: 30 gallon
Light: Medium
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Venomous: Yes
Swimming Level: Bottom
Care Level: Moderate
Reproduction: Egg Layer

The Forktail Blenny, also known as the Lyretail Fang Blenny or Yellowtail Fang Blenny, has a caudal fin that resembles a fork, with two long exterior spines and five much shorter middle spines. The body is a pale blue that runs like watercolor into a bluish-yellow at the tail. Males are generally larger than females and experience a succession of color changes when breeding.

The Forktail Blenny needs a minimum tank of 30 gallons with live rock for hunting and grazing. It is best to keep only one per tank unless a breeding pair is maintained. The Forktail Blenny is considered venomous and should be kept only with caution around children having tank access, since it may perceive fingers as an attacker and deliver a similarly painful bite.

The diet should consist of finely chopped crustacean flesh, mysid and vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, as well as frozen herbivore preparations.


Photo courtesy of T.F.H. Publications, publishers of the Burgess Atlas.

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