Blenny ID/ it's actually a weedfish, anyone know anything about weedfish?

[fishoholic]

I was at Blue World yesterday and they had their "little blue world" nano section set up, which was really cool to see. I ended up buying this blenny while I was there, but I have no idea what type of blenny he is. I tried to google search some blenny images but I had no luck, anyone know what type of blenny it is?

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/Laurie_Morin/6-line/DSC_1575.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/Laurie_Morin/DSC_1567.jpg

He's a really cool looking blenny and he sort of walks around on the sand with these two skinny little leg type of things.

[Zoaelite]

Are you sure its a Blenny? If anything I would say its some species of wrasse or possibly some sort of dragonette. Never seen anything like it, almost looks like a cross between a Corris wrass and a lawnmower blenny.
Levi

[noirsphynx]

Damn it!! I knew I should have gone over there today. That's the coolest little blenny. Was there any more?

[karazy]

looks almost like a small waspfish to me.

[triggereef]

Its called a red crown blenny:D

cheers taylor

[The Codfather]

Looks like waspfish to me as well.

[fishoholic]

Damn it!! I knew I should have gone over there today. That's the coolest little blenny. Was there any more?

They had 3 more :mrgreen:

Taylor I googled red crown blenny, but this blenny shows up, which is the same as the other type of blenny you have there, but not the one I bought.

http://www.aquacon.com/images/RedCrownAlgaeBlenny.jpg

I just googled waspfish, and it's vaguely similar but not the same.

[noirsphynx]

They had 3 more :mrgreen:

Taylor I googled red crown blenny, but only other types of blenny's show up.

I just googled waspfish, and it's vaguely similar but not the same.

It's not a red crown (http://www.aquacon.com/images/RedCrownAlgaeBlenny.jpg) and I agree it doesn't quite look like a wasp fish either.

[noirsphynx]

Maybe a type of weedfish?

[fishoholic]

Doesn't really look like a weedfish but he has the same sort of "leg" like things that he walks around on coming out of his chin like this pic. of this weedfish has.

http://www.divetime.com/images/photos/assets/1/23111-largest_Golden_Crested_Weedfish2_Sydney_Dec_06.jpg

I take that back :redface: see next post.

[fishoholic]

Wait a minute, just saw this pic. of a weedfish and actually mine looks just like it, only mine is more of a yellow/green colour. Thank-you Dawn, ummm, now what on earth is a weedfish! LOL I think I have some reading to do.

http://www.deepseaimages.com/dsilibrary/data/1535/medium/13JB0312.jpg

[christyf5]

looks like a seagrass wrasse to me.

[fishoholic]

looks like a seagrass wrasse to me.



No it's not a seagrass wrasse.
http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/images/products/Fish/large/Sea_Grass_Wrasse_ps.jpg

It looks just like these weedfish in this link, so I'm pretty sure that's what it is. Has anyone kept a weedfish before or knows anything about them? Not finding much info on them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimswims/sets/72157612079989090/

So far this is the only info. I can find on weedfish, which isn't much.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Crested-Weedfish-Cristiceps-australis-Valenciennes-1836

[Drock169]

I'm going to agree with christy on the wrasse, i thought they were called weedy wrasses though. There was one at J&L a week or two ago, Renee there would know what the name is.

[fishoholic]

The above picture I posted of the seagrass wrasse doesn't look like my fish at all, however the picture at the top of this page of redish/orange colour weedfish looks identical to my fish, only my fish is more of a greeny/yellow colour. What little info I could find on weedfish said that they could change their colour to blend into their surroundings. Which is probably why Ken was telling me it's like a frogfish.

Here's what the link I found say's about identification:

"The Crested Weedfish has a long, slender body with a large caudal fin and narrow caudal peduncle.

The dorsal fin is divided into two distinct parts. The high first part, which has three spines, originates above the eye and behind the supraorbital tentacles. The long-based second part has 26 to 29 spines followed by 6 to 8 rays.

The colouration of this species is highly variable, with fish often matching their habitats. Crested Weedfish commonly have a band extending down and back from the eye, a white blotch behind the pectoral fin base, and diffuse banding on the body."

I'll try to get a better pic. of him, but really he looks just like the weedfish at the top of this page.

[fishoholic]

My weedfish has been hiding today but Dawn went to Blue world and got the same fish as me and a much better pic. of it

http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/noirsphynx/DSC_0107_3.jpg
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/noirsphynx/DSC_0109_2.jpg

[midgetwaiter]

The fish is a Heteroclinus species, narrowing it down will be extremely difficult. Ambush predator, feeds on small inverts, might be tough to get eating frozen.

There is essentially no way you have Cristiceps australis there. Exports from that part of Australia are almost impossible to find.

[fishoholic]

The fish is a Heteroclinus species, narrowing it down will be extremely difficult. Ambush predator, feeds on small inverts, might be tough to get eating frozen.

There is essentially no way you have Cristiceps australis there. Exports from that part of Australia are almost impossible to find.

I googled "Heteroclinus" and saw a pic. of our weedfish, according to the site below it's a Banded Weedfish (Heteroclinus fasciatus) Out of curiosity were did you learn about it being an ambush predator. I can't seem to find any info on weedfish other then what I posted above. I have sexy shrimp and either my weedfish hasn't noticed them or doesn't care, as my sexy shrimp are fine right now.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/marine/NOV06/thumbs/Heteroclinus_fasciatus.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/marine/NOV06/&usg=__GlCsUdV9OPYBnRf_QHDpsPgZ4KE=&h=96&w=130&sz=9&hl=en&start=13&tbnid=kXDy93Mw367OGM:&tbnh=67&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHeteroclinus%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa fe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

[noirsphynx]

The fish is a Heteroclinus species, narrowing it down will be extremely difficult. Ambush predator, feeds on small inverts, might be tough to get eating frozen.

There is essentially no way you have Cristiceps australis there. Exports from that part of Australia are almost impossible to find.

Greeeeeaaaaatttttttt..........I guess he's not going into my nano with the tiny gobies and tiny inverts. He'll go into the other tank with a dwarf lion I guess. Thanks for the ID.

[noirsphynx]

My little guy has a voracious appetite. I don't think he could eat the frozen mysis any faster :clap2:

[fencer]

You traded the clam for that walking predator....;)...yes it is doing just fine

[noirsphynx]

You traded the clam for that walking predator....;)...yes it is doing just fine
:doh: Yeah. That's okay, he'll do good in the new tank which won't have any tiny inhabitants like mine does now.

[midgetwaiter]

Out of curiosity were did you learn about it being an ambush predator. I can't seem to find any info on weedfish other then what I posted above.

I can't find any decent info on aquarium care for weedfish either, they are pretty rare in the hobby. As far as it's behavior goes, I just looked at the fish, deductive reasoning basically.

No swim bladder so it doesn't cruise. Plankton feeders need to move around a lot.
Eyes are relatively high and set forward making binocular vision possible.
Mouth shape is not adapted for eating small prey like pods, compare to a 6 line wrasse.

It's built a lot like a hawk fish so you can be sure it acts like one too.

[noirsphynx]

Yup, I'd have to agree with it being an ambush predator. He sat in his little QT section and watched the mysis as it came closer to him(actually reminded me of a chameleon) and then he snatched it almost as fast as my frog fish did.

[fishoholic]

My little guy has a voracious appetite. I don't think he could eat the frozen mysis any faster :clap2:

That's good to hear, mine seems to hide so I hope some mysis gets to him where ever he is. I guess my big fish scare him, hopefully he'll get used to them and show himself more often. My one sexy shrimp stays close to the gbta and so far no one has eaten him. My other 2 hide really well and I only see them every now and then, but they always seem to show up alive and well.

[bulletsworld]

I have yet to see a weedfish. Very cool! Thanks for posting!

[fishoholic]

I have yet to see a weedfish. Very cool! Thanks for posting!

No problem, I had never even heard of a weedfish, let alone seen one before I got mine. I'm glad Dawn was able to help make an ID for me. I saw mine last night seems like he's doing good, looks a bit fatter even then when I first got him. Basically he hides during the day and I see him sometimes at night. So far my small inverts and fish are alive and well so I guess the mysis and other food in my tank is keeping him well fed.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/Laurie_Morin/DIY%20skimmer/DSC_1643.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/Laurie_Morin/DIY%20skimmer/DSC_1644.jpg

[Boomboy]

that is a very interesting fish you got there. you should get a vid of it up so we can see how it moves.

[fishoholic]

that is a very interesting fish you got there. you should get a vid of it up so we can see how it moves.

I'll try but I rarely see mine, he hides most of the time. He is funny to watch moving around though, he mostly walks on these two little legs type of things that come out from his chin. However he can swim off pretty quick when he gets spooked.

[noirsphynx]

I wish I could get a video of mine but my point & shot is broken and the only other video cam I have is an ancient 8mm:lol:. They "walk" and also swim kind of like an eel but really quick. Mine sits watching most of the time, his eyes move around kind of like a chameleon BUT come feeding time, yikes, vicious little guy. He knows the tweezers have food and as soon as they hit the water(barely even breaking the surface) he darts aggressively at them, grabs his food and back to his spot. I even had to seperate him from everyone else in QT because I caught him attacking my scopas.