Scooter Blenny Flashing?

[Susan Edwards]

Okay, my scooter is full of personality--one of my favorite fishes. When I stand next to tank, he comes over and watches me. If I move, he moves. Quite a character. I've trained him to take frozen brine and mysis from a turkey baster. He goes up to a rock and waits and when I start squirting (after shutting off all pumps) a small pile for him, he bites the baster until he gets his food. I noticed his coloring on his tail getting much redder and the pattern more distinct.

Today, to my surprise he lifted all his back fins and I was shocked at just how colorful the guy really is. Had no idea. Then, later, he started lifting and flashing his fins at me. Even will come off the rocks, down to the side of the glass, and lift and flash and do this little dance. As I'm sitting here, he came to the glass (my desk is about 3 feet away) and started doing it again, then left as I wasn't right there!

What is this behavior?
Mating?
Thank you for feeding me?
Get the heck away from my tank?
Whatever it is, I love it.

 

[eatbreakfast]

That's a dominance display. Rivals beware, ladies come near! It's a sign he is in peak physical condition. You are doing a good job. Nice pic too.

 

[Harris3005]

My male mandarin does the same thing when my female shows him some attention so I'd say it's probably mating behaviour, just a bit of showing off!

 

[40B Knasty]

My spotted mandarin did the same thing. Kicked up sand storms, but it was fun to watch. Thanks for sharing about your scooter blenny. There is a fellow R2R member who is tossed up between their next fish. I recommended the spotted, because he is a tank and joy to watch buzz around the whole tank. I found that the target feeding was key. Getting him to "know" what the turkey baster was about to bring for him. He watches the tip and will fallow it. He is a year old and hunts great if I just blast food in front of the powerhead now. That's Bee

 

[Susan Edwards]

@Harris3005 @40B Knasty Thanks for sharing your pics. The mandarin is on my list but need to get pods going first just incase it won't do frozen like the scooter. Need to set up my refugium, in the meantime, next trip to the lfs is to get pods and dump into tank to see if they can get started in there. Love these fish a lot. Like the red scooter as well.

 

[40B Knasty]

@Harris3005 @40B Knasty Thanks for sharing your pics. The mandarin is on my list but need to get pods going first just incase it won't do frozen like the scooter. Need to set up my refugium, in the meantime, next trip to the lfs is to get pods and dump into tank to see if they can get started in there. Love these fish a lot. Like the red scooter as well.

Scooter Blennies are like the Spotted Mandarin. They all seem to take frozen foods. The red & green mandarin and the red & ruby red scooter blenny. Those dragonets I have would leave for a very established tank with a refugium established of 1 year. To be really safe. Plus I seen a good rule of thumb. 50g per dragonet. For food and these beautiful fish will fight pretty much to the death. I have a 40B. So one Spotted Mandarin it is haha

 

[Harris3005]

Scooter Blennies are like the Spotted Mandarin. They all seem to tank frozen foods. The red & green mandarin and the red & ruby red scooter blenny. Those dragonets I have would leave for a very established tank with a refugium established of 1 year. To be really safe. Plus I seen a good rule of thumb. 50g per dragonet. For food and these beautiful fish will fight pretty much to the death. I have a 40B. So one Spotted Mandarin it is haha

My M/F pair of Mandarin Dragonets in a 450litre. I've been lucky though as mine both love a particular type of pellet food so I don't worry too much about pods! They have their own wee spot where they go for food and they eat together. I think the 50g per dragonet is particularly important if they will only eat pods as they can quite quickly decimate even the biggest pod populations in smaller tanks.

 

[40B Knasty]

My M/F pair of Mandarin Dragonets in a 450litre. I've been lucky though as mine both love a particular type of pellet food so I don't worry too much about pods! They have their own wee spot where they go for food and they eat together. I think the 50g per dragonet is particularly important if they will only eat pods as they can quite quickly decimate even the biggest pod populations in smaller tanks.

Thanks for confirming that with your experience about the 50g per dragonet. Your male green dragonet is amazing. Very healthy looking. After doing a little bit of research and seeing scooter blennies. I am loving those more and more. Really cool behaviors and nice fish all around.