Black Combtooth eating brine.

Soo.. I am watching my combtooth bleeny eat brine shrimp, is that normal? Aren't they herbivores?

 

They are herbivores. I’m not sure but maybe this means he’s not getting enough food he likes that he has to eat brine?

 

That is kind of what I was wondering.. I have noticed he picked the snail shells clean of algae.. and he has algae to eat in the tank.. plus I have added hikari algae tabs to the tank, what else should I do?

 

There are apparently some species that are omnivores, do you know the species you have?
Combtooth Blenny Bottom Dwellers | Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine

 

It looks exactly like this one (mine hides too much to get a pic)

Ecsenius namiyei

 

Looks like a bicolor blenny and from what I’ve been reading they are omnivores.
Bi Color Blenny Fish - Care | Diet | Size | White Spots - SeaFish

Bicolor Blenny Fish Care Guide - Fish Lifestyle

 

I think you may be right, its all so confusing.. the lfs sold it as a "black blenny" but I have heard of bi-colors turning black.. but seeing as how I've watched him nip at a flipped snail AND eat brine.

 

The truth is that all fish are opportunists. My Foxface technically is an herbivore but loves the mixed diet (Mysis Shrimp based) that Reef Frenzy offers and will eat greens or meats without hesitation. On the Flipside my Wrasses are supposed to be dedicated Carnivores but both my Melanurus and my Blue Star Leopard Wrasse definitely love having Seaweed/Nori as part of their diet. I had a Yellow Tang that was also technically an herbivore and the first thing it did in my tank was to tear into a freshly killed turbo snail and chow down on the snail meat.