Jewelled Algae Blenny

The Jewelled Algae Blenny, also known as the Starry Blenny, is a fantastic combination of personality, unique coloration and useful algae-grazing behaviour. Its dark brown body is covered in beautiful blue-white spots and intricate markings, giving it a star-covered appearance that becomes especially impressive under reef lighting.

Jewelled Algae Blennies spend much of their day perched on rockwork, keeping a suspicious eye on everything happening around them before hopping off to graze. They use specialized comb-like teeth to scrape algae and organic film from rocks and other hard surfaces, making them a useful addition to established marine aquariums.

They are generally reef safe and peaceful toward most tankmates, although they can become territorial toward other blennies and similarly shaped fish. Their entertaining behaviour and expressive faces often make them one of the most recognizable personalities in the aquarium.

An established aquarium with plenty of live rock provides both grazing opportunities and places to perch and hide. Although they are excellent algae grazers, they should not be expected to live entirely on nuisance algae. Supplement their diet with marine algae, spirulina-based foods and quality herbivore preparations.

Scientific Name: Salarias ramosus
Common Name: Jewelled Algae Blenny / Starry Blenny
Maximum Size: Approximately 5–6”
Temperament: Peaceful to Semi-Aggressive
Reef Safe: Yes
Diet: Primarily Herbivorous
Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Recommended Tank Size: 30+ gallons
Origin: Indo-Pacific

✨ Interesting Fact: Jewelled Algae Blennies can subtly change their coloration depending on their surroundings and mood, helping them blend into the reef while they perch among the rockwork. They’re essentially a tiny algae-eating gargoyle with googly eyes. 😂