Aspidontus taeniatus

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Facts
Latin name Aspidontus taeniatus - Quoy & Gaimard, 1834
Local name False cleanerfish
Family Blenniidae - Aspidontus
Origin East Indian Ocean, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, East Pacific, Central/West Pacific
Max length 11 cm (4.3")
As aquarium fish
Minimum volume 150 l (40 gal)
Hardiness Hardy
Suitable for aquarium Suitable for special aquariums
Reef safe Always reef safe
Aggressiveness Aggressive towards other species
Feed
Recommended Fish
Zooplankton (Cyclops, pods...)
Keep in mind
Thrive best on their own

These fish flourish better without other members of the same species in the aquarium.

Hiding places

This species needs good hiding places, for example, between live rocks.

Descriptions and further reading
Genus description (Aspidontus)

Some species in this genus imitates cleaner wrasses.

Family description (Blenniidae)

There are many differences within the Toothcomb Blennies family, some eat algae whilst others eat zooplankton. There are many families of Blennies, this is merely one of them.

What they have in common are their oblong shape and long dorsal fin. Some species have small "legs" used to move around the bottom.

These Blennies do not normally get very big and are therefore a good choice for both small and large aquaria. They are not often very colorful, but many have a fun personality which many aquarists fall for.

The species of the families Aspidontus and Plagiotremus imitate Cleaner Wrasses and can therefore be difficult to identify.

FishBase
Aquarium trade Yes
Distribution Pacific Ocean: Cocos-Keeling Islands (Ref. 9399) and Christmas Island (Ref. 30874) in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Line, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to New South Wales; throughout Micronesia.
English common names Striped blenny
False cleanerfish
Mimic blenny
Cleaner mimic
Danish common names Falsk pudsefisk
French common names Faux nettoyeur
German common names Falscher Putzerfisch
References and further reading

About references

Bob Fenner. Saber-Toothed Blennies, Family Blenniidae, Tribe Nemophini - Wet Web Media - (English)

Jeff Kurtz. 2007. Combtooth Blennies: Bewitching Bottom Dwellers - Tropical Fish Hobbyist - (English)
Scott W. Michael. Reef Aquarium Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-know Species - TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)
Bob Fenner. The True/Combtooth Blennies, Family Blenniidae - Wet Web Media - (English)
Bob Fenner. Blennioids: Blennies and Blenny-Like Fishes - Wet Web Media - (English)