QM Labs Announces Aquacultured Atlantic Oyster Blennies

Today, we are excited to announce a new aquacultured species is now available from us here at QM Labs. You can now buy aquacultured Atlantic Oyster Blennies through our valued store partners!

The number of marine species available to aquarium enthusiasts is nothing short of stunning when you look back 20 years and compare it to what was available then. We're in an unprecedented time of scientific advancement in regard to the captive breeding and rearing of saltwater fish (and some inverts!) Still, even with all these success stories, announcing a new species becoming available through aquaculture, a reason to celebrate!

Blennies of all sorts are always fan favorites around here at Quality Marine, and over the years, we've featured many of them in our “Highly Underrated Fish” series. Among all these amazing aquarium denizens, perhaps the most underrated is the Atlantic Oyster Blenny! This fish has only two other common names, the Panamanian Oyster Blenny, and in Germany, this fish is known as the Drunken Oyster Blenny. In the science world, they go by the name Hypleurochilus pseudoaequipinnis, which is your next fish geek meeting tongue twister!

While Hypleurochilus pseudoaequipinnis is found primarily in the Caribbean, there are some populations on the Pacific side of Panama, and these are widely assumed to be Atlantic escapees that made it through the canal. In the wild, they're found in very shallow water, usually less than 75 feet deep. They're most often harvested around rock rubble and coral reefs as they prefer a habitat with a multitude of hiding places.

These are small fish, rarely exceeding two inches long (give or take a smidge.) In addition, they aren't going to win any speed or agility contests with their swimming, and so they don't need a huge tank; a 30-gallon aquarium is plenty. With good tank mate choices, they would also be fine in much bigger displays. The irregular swimming style is likely how they got that comical German name and comes from a curious omission in their bodies. They lack a swim bladder (an organ that most fish have that helps them regulate buoyancy). This means that Atlantic Oyster Blennies are either swimming around, or perched on a rock, or maybe relaxing in a hole with just their faces sticking out, where they spend their day happily munching on algae and biofilm. A display for them should focus on rockwork, copious hiding/perching spots and lots of grazing space. These Blennies are hardy and easy to care for, but when startled they can be jumpers, so always keep your tank covered to prevent accidental escapes.

All the Blennies in this genus are pretty adaptable when it comes to water quality and the aquacultured Atlantic Oyster Blennies are no exception. They can handle a wide range of specific gravity (anywhere from 1.019-1.026) and temperatures (between 70 and 83 Fahrenheit). Just keep the nitrates in check (aim for under 5 ppm for a healthy tank) and maintain a stable pH between 8.0 and 8.4. And that’s it! They’re low-maintenance fish that aren’t too picky.

So here we have a hardy, smaller sized, colorful and interesting fish and that should be enough for most of you to be interested but wait! There's more! They're a great algae control critter too! It's a super important part of their diet and they will help you maintain a healthy level of algae and biofilm in your display. This said, no fish should be expected to live on the just the algae in a tank. They'll need supplemental feeding, and the Nutramar Pellets are our choice for their primary food here, though in the home aquarium. Nutramar Algae and Color Boost Shots are also a great food because the Oyster Blennies like to graze, and the “stick on the glass” shots will offer them an opportunity to do so. You can also supplement this diet with some thawed foods but stay away from super high protein diets. Instead utilize things like Gamma's Vegetarian Diet, or their Brine plus Spirulina. If your tank is super clean and doesn't have much algae in it, you may need to bring some in and a great way to do this is with Nutramar Nori and Ogo. If you have a massive algae outbreak, you should get this under control before adding the fish, so their environment is stable. The Oyster Blenny would be in hog heaven with all the algae, but probably not with the associated nutrient issues.

You can keep a Hypleurochilus pseudoaequipinnis with lots of fish and inverts. They are super peaceful and aren't generally going to be a problem with anything but other Blennies and perhaps similar looking and acting fish like Hawkfish. A tank full of fish such as Cardinals, Chromis, Tangs, Rabbitfish, Clowns, and tons of Wrasses would all be fine. Avoid large, aggressive fish that might scare them into long term hiding, or worse yet make a snack of them.

Almost everyone you talk to is going to label Atlantic Oyster Blennies as “Reef Safe” and we do too but prefer to call them low risk. They aren't going to go looking for corals as food, if your corals are unhealthy and start do develop spots of algae, the Blenny will start to munch on that algae and the coral might not do well with the extra attention. Clams can have the same issues, but because their shells are algae magnets, they are even more likely to garner the attention of the Blenny.

Atlantic Oyster Blennies are beautifully colored, uniquely patterned, perfectly sized, eat algae and get along well with most other fish that don't look like them and they have eyebrows. Seriously, eyebrows. Nothing adds personality like an eyebrow on a fish. These fish are very interactive and have incredibly unique behaviors in the home aquarium. Being aquacultured, they're also super adaptable and easy to feed. Head to your Local Fish Store and ask them about getting you one of these highly underrated, fan favorite, Aquacultured Atlantic Oyster Blennies from QM Labs and Quality Marine!