Featherduster blenny

📖 Overview

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): 12; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 17. Species distinguished by: pelvic fins with 1 spine and 3 soft rays; pectoral-fin soft rays usually 13 or 14; segmented anal-fin rays usually 17; segmented caudal-fin soft rays usually 13; dorsal fin not separated into 2 portions by deep notch (notch, when present, not reaching nearly to dorsal contour of body); dorsal-fin spines usually 12, the last easy to see; total dorsal-fin elements 25 to 30; preopercular sensory pore series with 5 or more pores at each position (northern Gulf of Mexico); an enlarged canine tooth present posteriorly on both sides of 1 or both jaws (sometimes absent on 1 side); no teeth on vomer; caudal fin uniformly pigmented or mottled with dark spots; gill openings not continuous, each restricted to side of head, extending ventrally to about midlevel of pectoral-fin base or further (may extend completely around lower side of head and form common opening with gill opening of opposite side); cirri present only on eyes; ventral edge of upper lip smooth; lateral line never consisting of 2 disconnected, overlapping portions. Common amongst Blenniids: small, slender fishes, largest species to about 13 cm SL, most under 7.5 cm SL. Eyes high on sides of head; mouth ventral, upper jaw not protractile. A single row of incisor-like teeth in each jaw and often an enlarged canine-like tooth posteriorly on each side of lower jaw and sometimes upper jaw; no teeth on palatines. Dorsal and anal fins long, their spines usually flexible; dorsal fin with fewer spines than segmented (soft) rays; 2 spines in anal fin, scarcely differentiated from the segmented rays, the first not visible in females, both often supporting fleshy, bulbous, rugose swellings at their tips in males; pelvic fins inserted anterior to base of pectoral fins, with 1 spine (not visible) and segmented rays; all segmented fin rays, except those of caudal fin, unbranched (simple), caudal-fin rays of adults branched. All species lack scales.: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Featherduster blenny is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Featherduster blenny is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Oviparous, distinct pairing .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated. Tropical Central Atlantic: Texas, USA.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

👥 Community & Contribute