Brown Scooter Blenny

Brown Scooter Blennies, Neosynchiropus ocellatus, also go by the name Ocellated Dragonet. These are charismatic brown and white fish. They have large pectoral fins that they use to perch on the seafloor. Males also sport large dorsal spines that they flare when displaying.

Despite the name, Brown Scooter Blennies are in fact dragonets, so they belong to a different family.

Brown Scooter Blenny, Neosynchiropus ocellatus, ecology.

These fish occur in the Pacific Ocean, around the Marquesan Islands and Japan. They are bottom dwellers that keep to loose groups in a variety of habitats. Brown Scooter Blennies will live in sandy areas or amongst: rock, coral and algae, from lagoons to seaward reefs.

Here they hunt for zooplankton, such as: copepods, amphipods, larvae or eggs. To protect them against predators and pests, they have a mucus coat and spines on their gill cover.

These fish broadcast spawn under cover of night. Males and females pair up and release their gametes as they swim upwards, belly to belly, spinning as they go. The fertilised eggs then drift away in the current.

Ocellated Dragonet in the Aquarium.

It is important to have plenty of nooks or crannies where your blenny can explore and feel at home. Keepers may want to invest in a jump guard to prevent accidents.

Brown Scooter Blennies are mostly carnivores but do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept frozen Mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp. We enrich all our frozen food with seachem garlic guard and Atvitol vitamins. These are great for keeping fish healthy by providing them with the nutrition otherwise lost in frozen food. In doing so, these additives support their immune system and increase longevity.

They will eat live foods, such as copepods and brineshrimp, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time, they can accept high-quality pellet or flake, such as JBL maris. Alternatively, they can also go for masstick that can be rubbed onto the rockwork or tank sides. We adapt all our Blennies to aquarium life before they leave us. We focus on their health. They are eating good quality frozen food before being offered for sale.

Brown Scooter Blennies can live alone. It is possible for some blennies to live alongside others as well. Sometimes even in same species groups. Success depends on a fair number of variables. For example, factors to consider include: the species of blenny, tank size, space and cover available. In the case of Brown Scooter Blennies, competing males can show aggression and towards one another. If wanting multiple males, proceed with caution. Please give us a call if you want to know more.