Lawnmower blenny picking at leather

[A;exr54]

Not sure if this is regular behavior or not for lawnmower blennies.
I see him constantly biting on a finger leather coral. He basically hosts in the finger leather. The finger leather looks fine. I don’t see any damage at all. The leather is not small. It’s about 7” across with about 15 or so fingers. The leather does not seem to mind the blenny always in it.

Is the lawnmower blenny biting it? Or am I possibly mistaking biting for something else?
I’ve had the lawnmower blenny for about 4 months now. Seems to be eating prepared foods and looks very healthy.

 

[KrisReef]

Keep watching and let us know especially if he gets it to growing into some kinda modified habitation. Or dies of leather poisoning? Or? And post some pictures so we can evaluate what your are observing. Someone might know.

 

[A;exr54]

Unfortunately I don’t think I can get a picture of the lawnmower blenny biting on the finger leather. I don’t know how that would even be possible to do unless I just sat there with a camera waiting for it and pressing the button to take the picture at just the right second.
I’m not that good or have that amount of patience.
I also don’t have video recording equipment with high enough quality to catch that.

 

[KrisReef]

My work phone will shoot burst pictures, and slow motion, but I know what you mean. Sitting around waiting for a fish to do something usually means the fish sits around waiting in a cave for me to leave. Ask me how I know.

 

[A;exr54]

I caught it on video. Sorry I didn't use a filter so its very blue. Got lucky to catch it.
What the heck is he doing to the finger leather?

 

[KrisReef]

Google epiphyton. It comes up with a blurb that is helpful. That fish is eating.

 

[A;exr54]

Google epiphyton. It comes up with a blurb that is helpful. That fish is eating.

I have never heard of that before.
I suppose it’s a good thing then and my leather is safe.
Thanks

 

[oldschoolbeginner]

My Benny does the same thing in my toadstool leather. It pushed out my black and white clownfish that was nesting in it… now the clown nests in the hammer coral I have. Clownfish is twice the size of the blenny. One side effect I noticed is that my leather has almost doubled in size since the blenny has been nesting in it .

 

[A;exr54]

Sad

My Benny does the same thing in my toadstool leather. It pushed out my black and white clownfish that was nesting in it… now the clown nests in the hammer coral I have. Clownfish is twice the size of the blenny. One side effect I noticed is that my leather has almost doubled in size since the blenny has been nesting in it .

I have sad news. The lawnmower blenny has since died. It either starved from lack of algae to eat in my tank or it got poisoned from nipping at things it shouldn’t have.

That was my first loss in about 6 years.
Found him half eaten. And removed it as soon as I saw it. This was about 10 days ago. Everything else looks healthy and normal since.
I have a large hammer that also hosts a clown. I also have a nice size very healthy RBTA that the clown does not even get near to.