🐠 Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
A Coppery Body With a Distinctive Black Tail Spot • A Documented "Playing Dead" Defensive Behaviour • One of the Smallest Blennies in the Trade
 
📋 The Tail Spot Blenny, also known as the Tailspot Combtooth Blenny, has a charming, coppery-to-brown body with a distinctive dark spot at the base of the tail, and a black-and-yellow band below each eye that can flush bright pink when the fish feels threatened.
It comes from shallow coral rubble zones across the Western Pacific, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Micronesia, one of the smallest blennies in the aquarium trade, rarely exceeding 6cm. Every Tail Spot Blenny we ship is feeding well.
A fascinating, unusual defensive behaviour worth knowing about upfront: when startled or newly introduced, this species can "play dead," lying motionless on its side for a period before recovering; this can look alarming to see for the first time, but is a completely normal, natural response and not cause for concern. This is a characterful, entertaining fish that spends its time perched on rock, observing its surroundings. It's fully reef safe, though very occasional, isolated reports of coral nipping exist, and it relies on a consistent supply of algae to stay healthy. It reaches up to 6cm, so a 38L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Coppery Body With Black Tail Spot: A distinctive, easy-to-identify pattern
😴 A "Playing Dead" Behaviour: A normal, natural defensive response, not cause for alarm
📏 One of the Smallest Blennies: A great fit for nano and small reef tanks
🌿 Fully Reef Safe: Won't harm corals or invertebrates
🥬 An Algae Specialist: Needs an established tank with real algae growth