| Chasmodes saburrae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Blenniidae |
| Genus: | Chasmodes |
| Species: | C. saburrae |
| Binomial name | |
| Chasmodes saburrae | |
Chasmodes saburrae, the Florida blenny, [3] is a species of combtooth blenny found in the western central Atlantic Ocean, around the coast of the United States. [4]
The Florida blenny is a small fish growing to a maximum length of 10 cm (4 in) but a more typical length is 6 cm (2.4 in). The single, continuous dorsal fin has about six spines and nineteen soft rays. The anal fin has eighteen or nineteen rays. The colour of this fish is a mottled or speckled brown. The sexes differ in that the female has the first anal spine reduced in size. In the breeding season, territorial males have enlarged anal spines with associated fleshy lobes and longitudinal folds of skin. These males also grow larger than the females, have pale longitudinal markings, an iridescent blue spot at the front of the dorsal fin, an orange streak running backwards from the blue spot and orange colouring on the gills and throat. [3]
This blenny is native to waters less than 6 m (20 ft) deep in the southeastern United States and the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Its range extends from New Smyrna Beach, Florida around the coast to the Chandeleur Islands of Louisiana; the range includes the Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys and the Mississippi Delta. It is a demersal fish and often found around mangroves and over rocky reefs. [1]
The Florida blenny is an omnivore but the diet varies with size. Although all sizes of fish feed on copepods, the smaller fish mostly feed on prey found in mid water. Larger fish often feed on or near the seabed, with detritus and plant material being added to their diet, as well as polychaete worms, molluscs, shrimps, other crustaceans and fish eggs. The Florida blenny is probably eaten by other fish and by large invertebrates. [3]
This blenny is not a shoaling fish and the male is territorial during the breeding season, which lasts from about March to October. A male will mate with several females and all these will deposit their eggs in the same location. Places chosen for this include the empty shells of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and rigid pen shell (Atrina rigida), rock crevices, sponges or discarded cans; in one case, 11,000 eggs were found in a single can. [3] The male guards the eggs for the three weeks or so before they hatch, while the females produce further batches of eggs at intervals during the breeding season. The larvae are pelagic and feed on zooplankton, before settling to the seabed after about three weeks when they are 6 mm (0.24 in) long. [3]
The sand goby, also known as a polewig or pollybait, is a species of ray-finned fish native to marine and brackish waters European waters from the Baltic Sea through the Mediterranean Sea and into the Black Sea where it occurs in sandy or muddy areas of inshore waters at depths of from 4 to 200 metres. This species can reach a length of 11 centimetres (4.3 in) TL. This species is sometimes kept in public aquariums. The sand goby is of a sandy colour, with darker markings on the sides and a creamy-white underside. In the breeding season the male fish has blue spot at the rear of the first dorsal fin, ringed with white. The fish has a slender body, and the head is about a quarter of the total length.
The grey triggerfish, or gray triggerfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the triggerfish family. The species is native to shallow parts of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina and also the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa.
The black goby is a species of ray-finned fish found in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. It inhabits estuaries, lagoons, and inshore water over seagrass and algae. It feeds on a variety of invertebrates and sometimes small fish. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade.
The sheepshead minnow, also known as sheepshead pupfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinodontidae, the pupfishes. It is found in salt marsh and estuary environments and is native to the eastern coasts of North and Central America.
Stegastes variabilis, commonly known as the Brazilian cocoa damselfish, is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae, found on coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean and off Brazil. They are often solitary fish.
The blob sculpin is a species of deep-sea fish of the family Psychrolutidae. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, molluscs, and sea pens.
Zebrasoma scopas, the brown tang, twotone tang, scopas tang or brush-tail tang, is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. The brown tang is found throughout Oceania and is a herbivorous fish, feeding predominantly on filamentous algae. It is a highly popular fish in the aquarium trade.
Stegastes planifrons is a damselfish from the Western Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The common dragonet is a species of dragonet which is widely distributed in the eastern North Atlantic where it is common near Europe from Norway and Iceland southwards. It is a demersal species that occurs over sand bottoms. It lives to a maximum age of around seven years. It is caught in bycatch by fisheries and is used in the aquarium trade.
Hypsoblennius invemar, commonly known as the tessellated blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
The seaweed blenny is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of New York, Bermuda, the Bahamas, also in the Gulf of Mexico, south to southern Brazil. This species reaches a length of 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in) TL.
The chameleon goby is a species of ray-finned fish native to marine and brackish waters along the coasts of eastern Asia. It has also spread to other parts of the world where it is found in waters with varying degrees of salinity.
Paraclinus fasciatus, the banded blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny native to the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea from southern Florida to Venezuela. The banded blenny is a marine organism, meaning it lives in an aquatic environment. This species lives in the vicinity of coral reefs preferring sea grass beds in shallow waters down to 2 metres (6.6 ft). Although they are typically located in shallow waters, their colors camouflage them exceptionally well, leading to them rarely being seen or recognized. They have also been found within floating algae.
Stegastes leucostictus is a species of damselfish found near the sea bed in shallow waters on the western fringes of the Atlantic Ocean. It is commonly known as the beau gregory or beaugregory.
The roundel skate or Texas clearnose skate is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rajidae. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico, Southeast Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Paroncheilus affinis, the bigtooth cardinalfish or longtooth cardinalfish, is a species of marine fish in the family Apogonidae and the only member of its genus. The bigtooth cardinalfish lives in the west-central Atlantic, off southern Florida, United States, and from the Bahamas to Venezuela, and as far south as Suriname. This species also is found in the east-central Atlantic and the Gulf of Guinea, and has been reported as far as Cape Verde. It is a pale orangeish colour.
The sand steenbras or striped seabream is a species of marine fish in the family Sparidae. It is found in shallow water in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from France to South Africa. It also occurs in the Red Sea and off the coast of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean. The IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus, known as yellow damselfish, yellowfin damselfish, yellow flank damselfish, yellow side damselfish, and yellow-sided Damselfish, is part Pomacentridae, which is a family of ray-finned fish including damselfish and clownfish. This family represents the greatest diversity and abundance of fish species inhabiting coral reefs. They were first discovered in the 1980s by Allen and Randall.
The pearl blenny is a species of combtooth blenny from the subfamily Salarinae of the family Blenniidae. It occurs in shallow coastal waters in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is the type species of the genus Entomacrodus.
Gerres nigri, the Guinean striped mojarra is a species of mojarra native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It inhabits estuaries, coastal waters and lagoons. This species can reach a maximum length of 20 cm (8 in), with 15 cm (6 in) being a more common size.
