Gulf Blenny (Ecsenius pulcher) Care Guide
Ecsenius pulcher is a combtooth blenny restricted to the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and adjacent coasts; it is benthic and lays demersal adhesive eggs.
Overview
Ecsenius pulcher is a combtooth blenny of the family Blenniidae, described by Murray in 1887. FishBase lists it under the common name Gulf blenny and reports a maximum length around 11 cm; it is a marine, demersal, almost exclusively benthic species.
Taxonomy
- Family: Blenniidae
- Genus: Ecsenius
- Scientific name: Ecsenius pulcher
Habitat
According to FishBase, the species is known only from the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the coast of Oman and the north-western coast of the Indian subcontinent as far south as the Gulf of Kutch. It is a benthic species of tropical coastal waters.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Lifespan: 3-8 years
Diet
FishBase assigns the species a trophic level of about 2.0, indicating a primary-consumer diet. In the aquarium it accepts a varied diet that includes algae-based and small meaty foods.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful, bottom-dwelling species that perches on rockwork. It suits calm marine communities with clownfish, tangs, cardinalfish and wrasses, and should not be combined with large predators such as lionfish or triggerfish.
Breeding
FishBase reports that the species is oviparous with distinct pairing; the eggs are demersal and adhesive, attached to the substrate by a filamentous adhesive pad, and the larvae are planktonic.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2009), as reported by FishBase.