How related are they?
Same family, Blenniidae (Combtooth blennies): close cousins
They split at the subfamily level: the Bicolor Blenny belongs to Salariinae (Algae-scraping blennies), the Canary Blenny to Blenniinae (Fangblennies and kin).
Find the Bicolor Blenny on the tree · Find the Canary Blenny on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Bicolor Blenny | Canary Blenny |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Blenniiformes Blennies and kin | |
| Family | Blenniidae Combtooth blennies | |
| Subfamily split | Salariinae Algae-scraping blennies | Blenniinae Fangblennies and kin |
| Genus | Ecsenius Coralblennies | Meiacanthus Fangblennies |
| Species | Ecsenius bicolor Bicolor Blenny | Meiacanthus oualanensis Canary Blenny |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Bicolor Blenny | Canary Blenny |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Blenny | Fish · Blenny |
| Care level | Easy | Moderate |
| Reef safe | With caution | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Herbivore | Omnivore |
| Favorite foods | Film and turf algae grazed from live rock, Nori (dried seaweed) on a clip, Spirulina and other algae-based flakes or pellets | Mysis shrimp, Vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, Finely chopped crustacean flesh |
| Max size | 4 in (10.2 cm) | 3.9 in (10 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Lifespan | Not well documented. One care guide gives about 2-4 years in the wild and up to about 10 years in captivity with good care; treat these figures as rough. | Not documented; no published lifespan for aquarium or wild fish was found. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |