are more compatible with other fishes and reef invertebrates.ProAquatix is currently producing the Bundoon blenny(Meiacanthus bundoon), the canary blenny (Meiacanthusoualanensis), the disco blenny (Meiacanthus smithi), theforktail blenny (Meiacanthus atrodorsalis), the green canaryblenny (Meiacanthus tongaensis), and the striped toothblenny (Meiacanthus grammistes). Despite their upcomingincreased availability, I personally continue to call them myrare gems of the reef aquarium.

Increasing the availability of tooth blennies throughcaptive breeding is just one of the bonuses of marineornamental aquaculture. It is worthwhile to note that tank-

bred specimens have also been weaned to conventional feedsand have been specifically selected for conditions ofaquarium life by the time they reach your local retailer (Fung,2003). This is an indirect result of the aquaculture process,where, simply, only those individuals suitable for aquariumlife have bred in captivity, and only those offspring whotolerate aquarium life enter the market. Tank-bred fish arehealthier, hardier, and more tolerant of aquarium life than awild-collected specimen because that is the only way theiraquaculture is possible.

Difficult-to-find Tooth BlenniesSaber tooth blennies, poison tooth blennies, or fanged

blennies are interchangeable names that describe the samegroup of blennies. As the names suggest, all these blenniespossess large teeth as a distinguishing feature. Marineaquarists lucky enough to have kept any of the species thatbelong to this group quickly realize that these blennies makegreat additions to reef aquaria. Combined with their alluringcolors and personalities, the blennies inevitably become oneof the aquarist’s all-time reef-compatible favorites. At least,that is what happened to me.

There are about nine tooth blennies of the genusMeiacanthus that are colorful and attract the attention of themarine aquarium trade. Aquarists, however, have probablyonly encountered the two most common members of thegenus: the bright yellow canary blenny (Meiacanthusoualanensis) and the striped tooth blenny (Meiacanthusgrammistes). Unfortunately, the availability of specimens inthis genus is so limited and unreliable that aquarists, and evenretailers, often remain unfamiliar with the other species thatalso make great fishes for the reef aquarium. In fact, it is notuncommon for most importers to only land about 20individuals per shipment, and usually these are all of thesame species, depending on the origin of their supply. Thismeans that any given retailer has little chance to get manyspecimens for sale and would have much difficulty if theysought a particular species. The obscurity of these fishestranscends down the line from supply to demand, leavinghobbyists fascinated by the photos in their books, but onlyable to say, “I’ve heard of these mythical fish.”

Anticipated Rise in Popularity Because the availability of tooth blenny species is so

intermittent and few, it is not the case that they are unpopular,since aquarists cannot want what they don’t know about. All this should change with the advances made in marineornamental aquaculture at ProAquatix, whose biologistsrecognized the potential popularity of these fish and targetedthis substantial group. Dottybacks experienced a dramaticincrease in their popularity and demand immediately aftertheir captive cultivation. Similarly, the popularity ofMeiacanthus tooth blennies is expected to rise dramaticallyand may even exceed that of dottybacks because these fishes

Jonathan FungCourtesy of ProAquatix

We are happy to bring a report of the latest additionto the growing pool of tank-bred marine fishavailable to the public. ProAquatix continues todemonstrate the skills and dedication needed tomove the marine hobby away from a dependence onwild-caught specimens in the Twenty-first Century.

Canary blenny Meiacanthus oualanensis.Photo by P. Hunt

Mythical No MoreTooth Blennies

116 May 2003 Tropical Fish Hobbyist 117

118 May 2003

Meiacanthus withinBlenniidae

Aside from their increased vigor,tank-bred tooth blennies are every bit like their wild counterparts. Tooth blennies belong to the familyBlenniidae, a large group of fishes.Blennies are usually scaleless, havelong continuous dorsal fins that arecomposed mostly of soft rays, andmost species sit on the bottom with a non-functional swim bladder(Michael, 1998). Members of thegenus Meiacanthus, however, havefunctional swim bladders that they use to regulate buoyancy and hover in mid-water. Within Blenniidae, five genera (Aspidontus, Meiacanthus,Petroscirtes, Plagiotremus, andXiphasia) are collectively termed tooth(also saber tooth or fanged) blennies.These genera encompass about 50species, and almost half of these (22species) are in the genus Meiacanthus(Fenner, Wet Web Media). Most ofthese species are marine, exceptMeiacanthus anema, which is known to occur in fresh water (Michael,1998). It should be noted that species of the genera Aspidontus and

Plagiotremus are predator-parasites ofother fishes, where scale, fin, and fleshtissues are primary constituents oftheir diet (Fenner, 2001). These fisheswould make fascinating specimens to provide that aspect of parasiticbehavioral ecology to your aquarium,if you’re into that sort of thing. In fact, Aspidontus taeniatus has evolvedto look like the cleaner wrasse,Labroides dimidiatus, so that it getsplentiful opportunities to attack whenhost fishes mistakenly trust them asthey do cleaner commensals.

It is also interesting that somePlagiotremus species, and other taxa,have evolved to bear the same color

patterns as some Meiacanthusspecies (Russell et. al., 1976), whichpresumably have adaptive significancebecause predators avoid Meiacanthusspecies and their venomous fangs. Avenomous bite is an effective predatordeterrent, and many Meiacanthusspecies have also evolved conspicuouscolors to advertise this adaptation topredators—an example of aposematism.Since predators recognize and learn toavoid these Meiacanthus species, it isadvantageous for other taxa, such asthe species listed in the table below, tomimic the colors of these aposematicMeiacanthus to avoid predation. Thismimicry is called Batesian mimicry.

Green (or Tonga) canary blenny Meiacanthus tongaensis.

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SOME VENOMOUS MEIACANTHUS SPECIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE MIMICS

VENOMOUS MEIACANTHUS SPECIES MIMIC

Meiacanthus grammistes (striped tooth blenny) Petroscirtes breviceps (dandy blenny)

Meiacanthus lineatus (lined tooth blenny) Petroscirtes fallax (Batesian mimic blenny),Scolopsis bilineatus (two line spinecheek juv.)

Meiacanthus nigrolineatus (blackline blenny) Escenius gravieri (mimic blenny)

Meiacanthus atrodorsalis (forktail blenny) Plagiotremus landandus (forktail blenny mimic),Plagiotremus townsendi (Townsend’s blenny)

Meiacanthus oualanensis (canary blenny) Plagiotremus laudandus flavus (golden mimic blenny)

Meiacanthus smithi (disco blenny) Plagiotremus phenax (imposter blenny)

The Venom ofMeiacanthus

All Meiacanthus possess a pair ofgrooved fangs in their lower jaws(Lieske and Myers, 1994). The groovesdeliver venom when these fish bite,which in humans has been at worstdescribed as painful (Fenner, 2001).Despite their potential to inflict somepain, Meiacanthus are consideredpassive fishes of the reef aquarium anduse their teeth only in self-defense. Thechances of a person actually beingbitten by Meiacanthus are quite remotebecause of their small mouths andpassive nature. Perhaps deliberatelypoking a finger in the den of a residentMeiacanthus might entice a humanattack. Because the chances of gettingbitten are remote and inconsequential,Meiacanthus are routinely handled justlike any other fish by aquariumindustry professionals.

In the wild, it has been reported that Meiacanthus species will bite theinside of a predator’s mouth wheningested, causing it to be promptly spit out (Michael, 1999). To explore this adaptation, Losey (1975) wanted

to demonstrate that venomous fangs affect the survival probability of toothblennies. In an experiment, Meiacanthusatrodorsalis were introduced to a reefwhere they did not previously occur,some with their fangs removed, whileothers were left with their fangs intact. Losey found that 71% of the fishwith intact fangs survived while 57% of the fish without fangs survived.Losey concluded that intact venomousfangs helped survival and that predator-learned avoidance of Meiacanthusatrodorsalis might have improved thesurvival among those without fangssince their survival was still relativelyhigh. Another possibility is that thesurgical fang removal procedure itself or an inferior feeding ability could also have contributed to lower survivalrates among the de-fanged fish.Although Losey had an innovativeexperimental approach to elucidate the adaptive significance of venomous fangs in Meiacanthus, such research is ill advised, since non-indigenousaquarium species can have adverseimpact when released outside theirnatural range (Fung, 2002).

Meiacanthus:Description andHusbandry

Although Meiacanthus blennies arepassive to other tank occupants, theyare not shy by any means. Theirprotection against predation isprobably reflected in this nonchalantbehavior. These small reef fishes attaintotal lengths of 21/2 to 31/2 inches.Using their functional swim bladders,they are most often seen hovering inmid-water. Their streamlined bodiesand large tails (relative to their bodies)enable them to give short bursts ofspeed. For someone who has not seentheir movements in person, I can onlydescribe their behavior as hovering and zipping through the water, asthough they were buzzing about likehummingbirds. They have often beendescribed in nature as hovering aboverock and rubble that offer holes forrefuge (Fishelson, 1975). In a tankenvironment, it is fascinating to watchone approach a hole, look into it, and then back into it tail-first, only to perch at the entrance with its head protruding. Within the home

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Disco (or Smith’s) blenny Meiacanthus smithi.

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aquarium, the most suitable habitatwould be the live rock of a reefaquarium, where the intricate labyrinthof holes and spaces provide variousnarrow crevices.

Since Meiacanthus species are reefaquarium fishes, they should be keptaccording to normal reef aquariumparameters (temperature 77° to 82°F,1.020 to 1.026 specific gravity, pH 8.0 to 8.3). Meiacanthus are natural

planktivores and can be fed withconventional frozen invertebrates onthe aquarium market such as brineshrimp or mysis shrimp. I have foundthat Meiacanthus species, even wildspecimens, have yielded high survivalrates in shipping. Furthermore, theyare able to tolerate prolongedfreshwater baths for treatment of somediseases. Note that most Meiacanthusspecies can exhibit a stress colormorphology, and this should not beconfused with disease. This alteredcoloration may be seen when turning

your aquarium light on in the middle of the night, or upon their arrival aftershipping. The stress markings inMeiacanthus species usually appear as faded colors with mottled patterns.This color change is often associatedwith a behavior where the fish layagainst a surface, presumably blendingin for camouflage. The effectiveness ofthis cryptic evasion has surprised manyunsuspecting aquarists.

Meiacanthus species naturally occuras solitary fishes and do not formbonded pairs. Thus, multipleindividuals of the same species shouldnot be attempted within the homeaquarium unless you have a large tankwith adequate live rock. From myexperience, Meiacanthus species willtolerate conspecifics provided that thereis crowding, as in an African cichlidaquarium. That is, as long as sufficientindividuals are present, any particularindividual will rarely receive the focusof aggressive attacks. This phenomenon

can be applied to temporary housing in wholesale, retail display, andquarantine purposes. Although it is bestto keep singles of any particular speciesin an aquarium, Meiacanthus of differentspecies seem to be highly compatible ifthey are dissimilar enough in color fromeach other. Incompatible groupings canhave mortal consequences, and deathsseem to occur mysteriously without thetypical signs of fighting (e.g. torn fins),

suggesting that their venom is effectivein conspecific conflicts. I have notobserved any sexual dimorphism todate, although Meiacanthus smithi isreportedly sexually dimorphic(fishbase.org).

Of the known species ofMeiacanthus, there are at least nine thatare noteworthy for the aquarium trade:

MEIACANTHUS ATRODORSALISThis Meiacanthus is commonly

referred to as the forktail blenny. It isalso occasionally referred to as the

Meiacanthus oualanensis can be identified by both its rich yellow coloration and pronounced lyretail.

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“Meiacanthus species naturally occur as solitary fishes and do not form bonded pairs. Thus, multiple individuals of the same species

should not be attempted within the home aquarium unless you have a large tank with adequate live rock.”

yellowtail poison fang blenny or thecat-eye blenny. This colorful fish has ablue-teal head that blends over thelength of the body into a yellow tail. A black line runs longitudinally alongits dorsal fin. A black mark alsooriginates from its eyes, exaggeratingeach eye to look elongated like a cat’seye. This widely distributed species hasmany geographical variants that maydeviate slightly from this form (Lieskeand Myers, 1994). As the name forktailsuggests, this species has a lyretail.Native biomes of forktail blenniesconsist of lagoon and seaward reefs, atone- to 30-meter depths (Lieske andMyers, 1994). This fish is found in thePhilippines and Bali eastward to Samoa,northward to Southern Japan’s RyukyuIslands, and southward to the GreatBarrier Reef and New Caledonia(Lieske and Myers, 1994).

MEIACANTHUS BUNDOONNative to Fiji (Lieske and Myers,

1994), Bundoon blennies are solidblack fish with green stripes running

longitudinally along both sides of theirbodies. The stripe seems somewhatneon, varying from light lime color todarker green, and narrows in width as itapproaches the tail. There have alsobeen anecdotal reports of occasionalspecimens with orange stripes in lieu of green stripes, one of which can beseen in Dr. Burgess’s Atlas of MarineAquarium Fishes (3rd ed.). The caudalfin of this fish forms a streaking lyretail.Note that the fish identified asMeiacanthus bundoon by A PocketExpert Guide: Marine Fishes (Michael,1999) is more likely a Meiacanthustongaensis (see description below).

MEIACANTHUS GRAMMISTESStriped tooth blennies, or striped

poison tooth blennies, are widelydistributed in the Pacific. Having alarger range for wild collection than the other Meiacanthus species hasprobably led to its ubiquity in theaquarium trade and may explain whyMeiacanthus grammistes was one of the first poison tooth blennies to be

imported. Its natural range spans fromIndo-China eastward to Papua NewGuinea, northward to Southern Japan’sRyukyu Islands, southward toNorthwest Australia and the GreatBarrier Reef (Lieske and Myers, 1994).Sheltered lagoon and seaward reefcommunities support their naturalbiomes (Lieske and Myers, 1994). Thisspecies bears alternating black andwhite longitudinal stripes, with thewhite stripes increasingly blending intoyellow pigments toward the head.Striped tooth blennies have a lesspronounced lyretail.

MEIACANTHUS LINEATUSCommonly referred to as lined

poison tooth blennies, these fishresemble Meiacanthus grammistesexcept their alternating stripes remainsolid yellow throughout the length oftheir bodies (rather than fading intowhite). Their tails are also completelyyellow. Lined poison tooth blennies arenaturally found on the Great BarrierReef (Lieske and Myers, 1994).

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Canary blennies on the reef in their native waters off Fiji.

126 May 2003

MEIACANTHUS MOSSAMBICUSHarptail blennies, sometimes

referred to as Mozambique blennies(Michael, 1999), are black with darkgreen pigments near their heads. These fish also have discrete yellow tail fins resembling a golden harp inshape. Before becoming comfortable in an aquarium, the Harptail blenny’snormally green-black body issometimes blue-gray, while its dorsaland anal fins remain black. This speciesis naturally found near coral reefs withpoor to moderate growth, sometimesnear coral rubble, at depths of one to 25 meters, among the Comore Islandsand Madagascar off the East AfricanCoast (Lieske and Myers, 1994).

MEIACANTHUS NIGROLINEATUSBlackline blennies have a blue-teal

head that blends into a yellow tail.Black spots are located along theanterior (near the head) dorsal fins,confined only to the soft tissues thatinter-digit the fin rays. This species getsits common name from a prominentblack line that originates from the eyeand runs longitudinally about half or

two-thirds the length of the body,where it turns into a broken line beforeterminating. Some geographic variantsexist that deviate from this basic form.For example, there is one with a blackdorsal fin amalgamating with the blackstripe on the body, accompanied by twoblack stripes highlighting the two outermost rays of the lyre-shaped caudal fin(fishbase.org). Blackline blennies arefound around corals in shallow water ofthe Red Sea (Fishelson, 1975) and theGulf of Aden (Lieske and Myers, 1994).

MEIACANTHUS OUALANENSISCanary blennies, sometimes with the

species name spelled ovalauensis(Michael, 1999), are uniformly richwith solid yellow coloring. Like mostspecies of Meiacanthus, this fish alsohas a trailing lyretail. Canary blenniesare native to Fiji and have been morecommonly found in the aquarium tradebecause of their conspicuous color.

MEIACANTHUS SMITHICommon names of this species

include disco blenny (fishbase.org) andSmith’s blenny. They have a light blue-

gray body and a black mark thatexaggerates the eye to look elongatedlike a cat’s eye. A black line also runslongitudinally through the dorsal fin,with an adjacent bright white linerunning parallel along the tip of the fin.This Meiacanthus has a round tail withblack lines formed by pigmentsconfined on caudal fin rays, somewhatresembling a paintbrush. Disco blenniesare found on the coral reefs of Maldives,and range from Southeast India to WestIndonesia (Lieske and Myers, 1994).The shape and patterns, combined withthe daily activities of this blenny, makeit reminiscent of something having todo with disco dancing.

MEIACANTHUS TONGAENSISSearching through available texts

that are common to aquarists, aphotograph of this species can be seenin A Pocket Expert Guide: Marine Fishes(Michael, 1999), where it appears to bemisidentified as Meiacanthus bundoon.This species is commonly called a greencanary blenny, or the Tonga canaryblenny. This predominantly yellow fishhas a green head and a black stripe

Striped tooth blenny Meiacanthus grammistes.

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running along its dorsal fin, asdescribed by Lieske and Myers (1994).Green canary blennies have a lyretailand are found near Tonga as suggestedby their scientific name.

Within the Scope ofMarine OrnamentalAquaculture

Aquaculture breakthroughs ofobscure groups, such as Meiacanthustooth blennies or Cryptocentruswatchman gobies (Fung, 2003), enablehobbyists to easily acquire rare fish.Without these developments inaquaculture, wild collection couldneither induce nor sustain the dramaticincrease in popularity of these fishes.This phenomenon was clearlydemonstrated by the captive cultivationof dottybacks and their subsequentubiquity in the aquarium trade.

ProAquatix is steadily increasing the number of available tank-bredspecies. Through scientific endeavors,marine ornamental aquaculture cancomplement the traditional wildcollection trade and relieve fishingpressure, creating a more sustainablewild collection fishery. While the

development of aquaculture for all the ornamental species of importancewill stretch beyond our lifetimes, these first steps lead us toward anenduring aquarium trade. Retailers and wholesalers that wish to stocktank-bred Meiacanthus species, ormany other tank-bred ornamentals, canwrite ProAquatix at P.O. Box 4119,Vero Beach, FL 32964; call 904-223-8733; or send email toinfo@proaquatix.com. The ProAquatixwebsite is http://www.proaquatix.com.

REFERENCESBurgess, W.E., Axelrod, H.R., and

R.E. Hunziker III. 2000. Dr. Burgess’sAtlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes. ThirdEdition. T.F.H. Publications, Inc.Neptune City, NJ. pp. 521-523, 532.

Fenner, Robert M. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sabertoothblens.htm

Fenner, Robert M. 2001. TheConscientious Marine Aquarist. T.F.H.Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ. pp.291-292.

FishBase. http://www.fishbase.orgFishelson, L. 1975. Observations on

Behavior of the Fish Meiacanthusnigrolineatus Smith-Vaniz (Blenniidae)

in Nature (Red Sea) and in Captivity.Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 26(3):329-341.

Fung, Jonathan. 2002. Introductionof Non-Indigenous Species via theAquarium Trade. Freshwater andMarine Aquarium Magazine. 26(11):160-164.

Fung, Jonathan. 2003. Tank-BredWatchman Gobies: Essential Fish forEvery Reef Aquarium. Tropical FishHobbyist. 51(5): 98-104.

Lieske, E. and R. Myers. 1994. CoralReef Fishes. Harper Collins. Italy. pp.50, 114.

Losey, G.S. Jr. 1975. Meiacanthusatrodorsalis: Field Evidence ofPredation Protection. Copeia. 1975(3):574-576.

Michael, Scott W. 1998. Reef Fishes.Vol. 1. Microcosm, Ltd. Shelburne, VT.p. 135.

Michael, Scott W. 1999. A PocketExpert Guide: Marine Fishes.Microcosm, Ltd. Shelburne, VT. pp.164, 331-332.

Russell, B.C., Allen, G.R., and H.R.Lubbock. 1976. New Cases of Mimicryin Marine Fishes. J. Zool. Lond. 180(3):407-423. D

Meiacanthus grammistes has white stripes blending into yellow towards the head, as well as a less pronounced lyretail.

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