Imitator blenny

📖 Overview

Facultative air-breathing in the genus ; Adults inhabit shallow coral and rocky reefs . Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive , and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal . Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 15; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 14 - 16; Vertebrae: 30. Diagnosis: Dorsal fin XII, 14, membrane attached to caudal fin, with deep notch above last spine, first spine almost same or slightly higher than second; anal fin II, 15; pectoral rays 15; pelvic fin I, 4; caudal fin procurrent rays 11-14. Vertebrae 10 + 20. LL, without scales and scalelike flaps; LL tubes 7-14, canal ends below posterior to 9th dorsal ray, usually on caudal-fin base. Lower lip smooth mesially, plicate laterally. Upper lip crenulae 36-50. Gill rakers 24-27. Cephalic sensory pore system complex. Cirri, nuchal 40-59, supraorbital 13-46, nasal 9-93; 4 groups of nuchal cirri, 2 groups on 1 side rarely connected by a low basal membrane, ventralmost group on each side borne on enlarged nuchal flap. Body depth at anal-fin origin 3.5-4.0 in SL. Morphometric and meristic characters does not vary geographically. Overall dark brown; female with pale grey polygonal spots; male with irregular bars and yellow tips on caudal fin and anterior dorsal spines; irregular pupil- sized spots on head; iris with yellow-ringed pupil .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Imitator blenny is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

Oviparous, distinct pairing . Urogenital orifice of male genital papilla located basally between 2 widely separated slender filaments on a fleshy swelling behind anus; testes bulbous with length equal to its width .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 10 m. Tropical; 35°N - 20°N

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🦠 Common Diseases

The following diseases are known to affect Imitator blenny.

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

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