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Starry Blenny
Blenny

Starry Blenny

Salarias ramosus

A stocky dark-brown combtooth blenny covered in pale blue-white spots, with feathery head cirri and a habit of perching on rock and glass to watch the room. It grazes film and hair algae off rockwork all day, which is most of why people buy it, but a clean tank runs out of food quickly — it needs an established system with real algae growth plus supplemental nori and herbivore preparations or it will slowly thin out. Peaceful with unlike fish, but territorial toward other blennies, gobies and anything with the same body shape, so keep one. It jumps and it can occasionally rasp at clam mantles or soft corals if underfed.

Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Max size
5.5"
Min tank
50 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe with caution
Diet
Herbivore
Zone
Rockwork, Bottom
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Starry Blenny gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Lawnmower BlennyBoth are Salarias algae grazers with the same body shape and the same perch-and-hop feeding, so they read as direct rivals and compete for the same limited algae film. Care guides name the lawnmower blenny as the species to avoid alongside a starry.Redlip BlennyThe Redlip is territorial toward other grazing blennies; the Salarias Starry blenny shares its niche.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.Spanish HogfishSpanish Hogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Starry Blenny.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Kole TangStarry Blenny and Kole Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Sixline WrasseStarry Blenny and Sixline Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Melanurus WrasseStarry Blenny and Melanurus Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Coral HawkfishStarry Blenny and Coral Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Springer's DottybackStarry Blenny and Springer's Dottyback both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Purple DottybackStarry Blenny and Purple Dottyback both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Midas BlennyStarry Blenny and Midas Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Yellow Clown GobyStarry Blenny (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Green Clown GobyStarry Blenny (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Green Clown Goby and may harass it.Longnose HawkfishStarry Blenny and Longnose Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Potter's AngelfishStarry Blenny and Potter's Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Bicolor BlennyStarry Blenny and Bicolor Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Red Coris WrasseStarry Blenny and Red Coris Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Flame HawkfishStarry Blenny and Flame Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Saddleback ClownfishStarry Blenny and Saddleback Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Cherub AngelfishStarry Blenny and Cherub Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Multicolor AngelfishStarry Blenny and Multicolor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Spotted MandarinStarry Blenny and Spotted Mandarin both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Rusty AngelfishStarry Blenny and Rusty Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Emperor AngelfishStarry Blenny and Emperor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.