Meiacanthus mossambicus

Smith, 1959

Mozambique Fangblenny

Range: Western Indian Ocean: East Africa, and Madagascar.

Size: 4 inches (10 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral reefs in areas of poor coral growth and usually found between depths of 10 – 65 feet (3 – 20 m) where it mainly feeds upon zooplankton.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade and usually having a pale blackish blue body, blackish dorsal and anal fins, and a yellow tail having long trailing edges on its upper and lower lobes.

Can be maintained in either fish-only or reef aquariums having rocky areas with caves to hide and/or explore while looking for tasty crustaceans to consume.

Basically requires a meaty diet, e.g., fortified brine shrimp, mysis, and other meaty type marine fresh or frozen foods, along with some herbivore foods and all should be finely chopped and fed twice daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Blennioidei

Family: Blenniidae

Genus: Meiacanthus

FYI: One per aquarium

Small shrimp and feather dusters are at risk of being eaten.

Has venomous fangs used mostly for defense.

Captive bred specimens available.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5