The Lawnmower Blenny

The lawnmower blenny—sometimes called the jeweled blenny (Salarias fasciatus)—is a tropical, Indo-Pacific species ranging from the Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa. It can be found in shallow water as far north as the Ryukyu Islands and all the way south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. This fish grows to about 14 cm in length and is an excellent algae-eater. In the wild, this species inhabits reef flats and shallow lagoons, as well as seaward reefs and estuaries where it feeds on algae-covered rubble which it scrapes off the substrate. It makes an excellent aquarium species if there is enough green stuff upon which it can feed. Adults of this species can become territorial and somewhat belligerent, especially in a smaller aquarium.