#blenniidae

[snototter]

A bluestriped fangblenny (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos) peeks out of a coral reef in Bali, Indonesia

by David Lehrian

[herpsandbirds]

When I used to keep a small reef tank, my favorite fish was a tailspot blenny. I've been missing his muppet face lately, could I get some blennies and maybe a fun blenny fact?

Please relax while we process your request...

Striped Fang-Blenny (Meiacanthus grammistes), family Blennniidae, order Blenniiformes, found in the western Pacific

Venomous.

The venomous bite of this fish is used mostly for defense.

photograph by Haplochromis

Pacific Leaping Blenny (Alticus arnoldorum), family Blennniidae, order Blenniiformes, found in the western and southern Pacific

As with many coastal blenny species, they are able to move around out of the water, climb over rocks and up mangrove roots, and they are able to LEAP to avoid predators and grab prey.

Blue-striped Fang-Blenny (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos), family Blennniidae, order Blenniiformes, found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Ocean

Mildly venomous.

Mimic of juvenile cleaner wrasse.

Feed on fish scales, fins, and mucous.

Free swimming, not benthic (bottom dwelling).

Known for taking refuge in holes in coral reefs.

photograph by Nick Hobgood

Combtooth mudskipper blenny (Alticus anjouanae), family Blennniidae, order Blenniiformes, Reunion Island

As with many of the coastal blennies, they are capable of moving around out of the water and surviving for an hour or 2 above the surface.

Not a true mudskipper (which are in the same order as gobies).

photograph by Charles J. Sharp

Butterfly Blenny (Blennius ocellaris), family Blenniidae, order Blenniiformes, Sicily

photograph by Etrusko25 

Tasmanian Blenny (Parablennius tasmanianus), family Blenniidae, poking its head out of an old Barnacle on a jetty pylon.

photograph by Steve Jones

Gulf Signal Blenny (Emblemaria hypacanthus), family Chaenopsidae, order Blenniiformes, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico

photograph by Ryan Photographic

Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura), family Bleniidae, order Bleniiformes, found in the western Pacific

photograph by Kiyoshi Okada & Petesaquariums

[every-day-creechur]

Socorro Blenny Hypsoblennius proteus

A combtooth blenny that lives in the waters around Socorro island off western Mexico. Increasing frequency of El Niño events cause the waters to become too warm for this species.

[birdblues]

Blackflap Blenny

[oceansoftheworld]

Photo by Adam Hanlon | Info

The black comb-tooth blenny or Namiye's coral blenny (Ecsenius namiyei) is a species of marine fish in the family Blenniidae. The specific name honors the Japanese zoologist and museum curator Motoyoshi Namiye (1854-1915). The black comb-tooth is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean from the Philippines to Solomon Islands. It grows to a size of 11 cm in length.

[snototter]

A bluestriped fangblenny (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos) peeks out of a coral reef in Fiji

by divindk

[snototter]

A tompot blenny (Parablennius gattorugine) off the coast of the Netherlands

by Verheyen Stefan

[herpsandbirds]

Tasmanian Blenny (Parablennius tasmanianus), family Blenniidae, poking its head out of an old Barnacle on a jetty pylon.

photograph by Steve Jones