How to ID a goby or benny?

[arcanehacker]

I've seen many similarities between gobies and bennys. So how do I tell the difference? ..

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

for instance when it comes to the cleaner wrasse...the false cleaner is a blenny with it's shark like mouth. Upper lip is longer then the lower and where the true cleaner has equal mouth parts. Thats just one example. blenny's are a lot sleeker in body shape

[arcanehacker]

for instance when it comes to the cleaner wrasse...the false cleaner is a blenny with it's shark like mouth. Upper lip is longer then the lower and where the true cleaner has equal mouth parts. Thats just one example. blenny's are a lot sleeker in body shape

a lot sleeker? .. I've seen those grey coloured goby which looks exactly like those grey algae blenny.. ..

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

sleeker means...more thinner in body size... Blenny's are more "shark like" then goby's and don't have that cute face..... Blenny's tand to take bites out of passing fishes which goby's don't.

[KaEN]

look at the dorsal(top) fin, if is joint together is a blenny, if is 2 part, 1 front 1 back, is a goby

[arcanehacker]

look at the dorsal(top) fin, if is joint together is a blenny, if is 2 part, 1 front 1 back, is a goby

ah.. nice... thanks..

BTW, I saw my Blenny really violently nib on the rocks. Sometimes even nib on my starfish. To nibble on my starfish I dun mind coz it has quite a hard outer but I wonder if its safe if he starts to nibble on my fishes or shrimp..

[element]

hi arcanehacker,

just to share my experience...

i had a sharp fanged blenny & i do not know for what reason why it went to pick on my red feather star. then it started turning black, & i don't see it anymore...

it was originally feeding very well, until i bought the red feather star, which the shopkeeper told me was not prone to be picked on by fishes...

[arcanehacker]

hi arcanehacker,

just to share my experience...

i had a sharp fanged blenny & i do not know for what reason why it went to pick on my red feather star. then it started turning black, & i don't see it anymore...

it was originally feeding very well, until i bought the red feather star, which the shopkeeper told me was not prone to be picked on by fishes...

I know which star you talking about. Those stars are very thin and seems vulnerable to attacks. Mine are the thick fat kind of starfishes. I'm not afraid my blenny will eat it. I'm just afraid it will bite the other fishes..

[element]

I know which star you talking about. Those stars are very thin and seems vulnerable to attacks. Mine are the thick fat kind of starfishes. I'm not afraid my blenny will eat it. I'm just afraid it will bite the other fishes..

oh then, i don't think you will get any harrassment from the blennies... because mine leave the other fishes alone. (so far)

[Marinedisc]

I remember sometime ago, a reefer mentioned that a blenny have a pair of 'antenna' or a short feeler like just in front/between its eyes. My only bicolor blenny have that antenna too.

Maybe you can check yours.

[DeepBlue]

My bi-colour blenny will bite my hands when I am doing scaping....I strongly believe it is the reason why my tangs have torn fin everynow and then....saw it going after them...they will be so pissed and really go after the little guy viciously

[arcanehacker]

I remember sometime ago, a reefer mentioned that a blenny have a pair of 'antenna' or a short feeler like just in front/between its eyes. My only bicolor blenny have that antenna too.

Maybe you can check yours.

oh yah.. so this is a special feature of a blenny?.. .. I realised that they even have 'eyelashes' too...

[arcanehacker]

My bi-colour blenny will bite my hands when I am doing scaping....I strongly believe it is the reason why my tangs have torn fin everynow and then....saw it going after them...they will be so pissed and really go after the little guy viciously

does it hurt when it bites you?.. .. Only thing that does that is my fire shrimps.. they like to clean my hands..

they are fin nippers too? or only to certain fishes?.. Mine doesn't attack the lion or the pipes..