Bundoon Blenny (Meiacanthus bundoon)
The Bundoon Blenny (Meiacanthus bundoon) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Meiacanthus Bundoon is native to South Pacific waters around Tonga and Fiji.
The Bundoon Blenny is a venomous yet peaceful species that is generally found swimming just above the bottom among the rocks and branching corals in the shallow rocky reefs and drop offs of their range, at depths from 3 to 70 feet, feeding on zooplankton.
Bundoon Blenny (Meiacanthus bundoon)
The Bundoon Blenny has an elongated body with a forked caudal fin, a dark olive to black body color with a vibrant, wedge shaped, orange to yellow stripe along the sides from behind the eye to the mid section of the body, green opercle and cheeks. The base and lobes of the caudal fin is black with a white to transparent central posterior area.
Males are generally larger than females and display a succession of vivid color changes when breeding.
Bundoon Blenny (Meiacanthus bundoon)
The Bundoon Blenny is a hardy species that can be housed in a well established FOWLR or mature reef aquarium of at least 30 gallon capacity, with a coralline gravel or sandy substrate, and plenty of aged live rock arranged into nooks, crevices, caves, ledges, and overhangs for them to graze and hide among.
The Bundoon Blenny has a peaceful temperament that is suitable for community tanks, however, they can become territorial towards other species that resemble their shape. They are venomous and will retaliate attacks made by other fish by biting the insides of the mouth of the attacker.
Bundoon Blennies do fine in well established aquariums with plenty of rockwork and tank space. Unless kept as a breeding pair, only a single Meiacanthus bundoon should be housed in a 30 gallon tank.
The Bundoon Blenny is reef safe and makes a perfect candidate for a mature reef aquarium. They are peaceful and will not bother decorative clams, invertebrates, or corals.
Although are not commonly available to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts, the Bundoon Blenny has been bred in an aquarium environment. It is best to start with a wild caught pair or aquacultured juveniles in a tank with copious amounts of live rock. Their eggs are demersal and adhesive. Pairs will typically spawn in the cavities of the rock or deposit their adhesive eggs on the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal. Both parents vigorously guard the adhesive eggs until they hatch out into small planktonic larvae that are often found in the shallow coastal waters of their range.
In an aquarium environment, the tiny fry should be removed to a rearing tank as soon as they are visible and fed with rotifers and phytoplankton. Daily 10% water changes are necessary until they grow out into juveniles.
In their natural environment, the Bundoon Blenny feeds on a variety of zooplankton. In an aquarium environment, they are not especially picky eaters. A mixed diet of Mysis, finely chopped krill, vitamin enriched brine shrimp, chopped crustaceans, and frozen herbivore preparations will keep them healthy. Feeding several times a day is recommended.
The Bundoon Blenny (Meiacanthus bundoon) is not commonly available to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts but can be obtained as wild caught or aquacultured specimens from online retailers, wholesalers, and transhippers at prices that vary on size and area of collection. Most specimens from Tonga are available at purchase sizes: Small: 3/4″ to 1-1/4″; Medium: 1-1/4″ to 2″; Large: 2″ to 3″. Special order small Tonga specimens start at $ 64.99.
Bundoon Blenny (Meiacanthus bundoon)
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallon (55+ gallons for pairs)
Aquarium Type: Reef or FOWLR
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Water Conditions: 75-82°F, dKH 8 – 12°, pH 8.1–8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
Max size: 3.1″
Color Form: Blue, Black, Orange, Black, Yellow
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: Reef Safe
Origin: Tonga, Fiji
Family: Blenniidae
Lifespan: 4 – 6 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner/Experienced
