Description
Sailfin blennies, Emblemaria pandionis, are small, black or grey blennies that are great for reef tanks because they don’t get big (maximum size of less than 3″, they don’t pick at corals, and they get along with most other fish.
The males are generally jet black and have a huge dorsal fin that looks like a sail when they stick it up, which they do frequently. Females are generally a lighter color than the males, and do not have as large of a dorsal fin, but they are neat too.
They are not picky eaters and will eat anything from frozen foods to pellet foods, so just feed them what you feed the rest of the critters in your tank and they will be happy.
This is the only picture I have for now, and it doesn’t show the high sail fin dorsal, so you’ll just have to imagine what it looks like.
Please Note: Any new fish purchased from us or from a local pet store should to be quarantined. All fish from anywhere in the wild can be possible carriers of bacteria and protozoa that can lead to an infection in your system, so we always recommend that you use some sort of quarantine system prior to adding them to your system. If you have a fish only system and can medicate the whole system, you may not need a separate quarantine tank. If you have a reef system that cannot be medicated, a good ultraviolet sterilization system should prevent any kind of disease outbreak. We medicate our system for bacterial infections and protozoans, but because we dont always hold our fish for long periods of time, there is no way to be sure all the protozoan cysts have been killed. A little bit of prevention will save you lots of trouble down the line.
fishnshrimps (verified owner) –
I wound up with two females. To my mild surprise, they’re territorial! I had thought only the males would fight. They’re OK in the quarantine tank for now, albeit with occasional squabbling when one goes after food and darts into the other’s space.
A tip for QTing these; you can buy reusable silicone straws and cut them into 2-3″ lengths to make hiding places that won’t absorb any meds and can be easily sterilized. Works great for little hole-dwelling fish like blennies.
Wayne Morrow (verified owner) –
I have two males at opposite ends of a ninety gallon tank. They are particularly active at feeding, zipping in and out of large barnacles as they feed.
Albert (verified owner) –
I purchased a female and a male at separate times and they are both currently in my 5 gallon nano with no aggression between the two. They are a fun fish with lots of character. The love to peek out from the different holes in the rock and hop from rock to rock and anxiously wait for food when I approach the tank. Great fish!!!
Steven (verified owner) –
Probably hands down the most attractive thing I’ve ever bought for my reef from KPaquatics. He’s a cute little guy with a sailfin almost as tall as he is long. He hides a lot but comes out during feedings and during lights out. Beautiful fish.
Zachary Ouellette –
These little guys are so awesome!. I received exactly what i requested. They were also in incredible health! I had quite a few pods in my tank before i added them but within a day there was little signs of them and the blennies were very plump and happy. Thanks a lot Ken!
Cindy E Dailey –
Got a female in this shimpent, I’ll have to order a male next time. She staked out her rock right away and is already begging to be fed! Just too darn cute!
Tom Abbott –
We accidently got a female, but what a great little fish !
I can’t believe the male could be any more interesting.
The female is actually quite attractive, in a speckly sort of way. She sits up on her two pectoral fins like a little dog, in front of her cave waiting to be fed. She has also taken over an empty snail shell and when she backs into it, she actually looks like a snail complete with antennae ( actually her eyelashes ).She is also very alert, and follows you with her eyes. A very interesting addtion to our tank .