Dark Side of the Tailspot

[hyperge]

You can see in my avatar how my tailspot blenny "dresses" up at night (after lights off, this is a flash picture).

He always visits one hole in the LR, then switches to this striped camouflage (you cannot see it from the picture, but it is all over his body, in particular the back). After being finished with the conversion, he moves to his regular overnight place.

I have the impression it is a kind of bristleworm mimicry. From above, you only see the striped pattern in the dark. He even moves like a bristelworm head then, slowly and totally unfishy.

Scary. In particular as I have no bristleworms in my tank. But some scary crabs...

 

[ReeferBill]

Very cool fish!!!

 

[hyperge]

Indeed, he is! Anyone else notice this behaviour?

 

[SDguy]

Mimicry would be cool, but I just figured he gets all mottled like that to blend in with the rocks.

 

[Korrine]

very cool!

 

[AGYDAL]

Mine gets dark like that at night too...during the day he likes to hide inside a powerhead that's in the tank but currently not in use...when he's not there he is perched in a rock just watching the reef, bobbing his head with the current.

Btw, very cool picture.

 

[aleonn]

Nice pic! I've noticed that a lot of my fish kinda change their coloration at night as well. For example, my naso tang's skin turns a blotchy-gray/black color. I've never had a tailspot blenny before, but it looks like they have some personality!