Combtooth blennies are blenniiformids; percomorph marine fish of the family Blenniidae, part of the order Blenniiformes. They are the largest family of blennies with around 401 known species in 58 genera. Combtooth blennies are found in tropical and subtropical waters in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans; some species are also found in brackish and even freshwater environments.
Blenny is a common name for many types of fish, including several families of percomorph marine, brackish, and some freshwater fish sharing similar morphology and behaviour. Six families are considered "true blennies", grouped under the order Blenniiformes; its members are referred to as blenniiformids. About 151 genera and nearly 900 species have been described within the order. The order was formerly classified as a suborder of the Perciformes but the 5th Edition of Fishes of the World divided the Perciformes into a number of new orders and the Blenniiformes were placed in the percomorph clade Ovalentaria alongside the such taxa as Cichliformes, Mugiliformes and Gobiesociformes.
Aulostomus maculatus, the West Atlantic trumpetfish, is a long-bodied fish with an upturned mouth. It often swims vertically while trying to blend with vertical coral, such as sea rods, sea pens, and pipe sponges.
Venomous fish are species of fish which produce strong mixtures of toxins harmful to humans which they deliberately deliver by means of a bite, sting, or stab, resulting in an envenomation. As a contrast, poisonous fish also produce a strong toxin, but they do not bite, sting, or stab to deliver the toxin, instead being poisonous to eat because the human digestive system does not destroy the toxin they contain in their bodies. Venomous fish do not necessarily cause poisoning if they are eaten, as the digestive system often destroys the venom.
The blotched foxface, also called the blackblotch foxface or one-spot foxface, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found at reefs and lagoons in the central Indo-Pacific. Except for the black spot on the rear upper body, it resembles the closely related foxface rabbitfish.
Salarias fasciatus, commonly known as the jewelled blenny or lawnmower blenny is a benthic, neritic, marine fish species endemic to Australasia. Despite being known as the lawnmower blenny, due to its propensity to consume algae growth in aquaria, it is principally a detritivore, with plant material making up only about 15% of its diet. The lawnmower blenny camoflauges with its surroundings, even changing color to hide itself from predators.
Meiacanthus atrodorsalis, the forktail blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific ocean. This species grows to a length of 11 centimetres (4.3 in) TL. This venomous species can also be found in the aquarium trade. It is also known as the eyelash harptail-blenny, poison-fang blenny or the yellowtail poison-fang blenny.
Meiacanthus is a genus of combtooth blennies found in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. Many species in this genus make their way into the aquarium trade and several are venomous. The genus name Meiacanthus is derived from the Greek meion meaning "less" and akantha meaning "thorn" and refers to most species having relatively few dorsal fin spines.
Istiblennius dussumieri, the streaky rockskipper, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is also commonly known as the Dussumier's rockskipper, streaky dussumier, or the Dussumier's blenny.
Meiacanthus ditrema, the one-striped poison-fang blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific ocean. This species grows to a length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) TL.
Meiacanthus vittatus, the one-striped fangblenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific ocean. This species grows to a length of 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in) TL. This species can be found in the aquarium trade.
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.
Petroscirtes fallax, the deceiver fangbelly or yellow saberetooth blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific ocean. This species reaches a length of 9.5 centimetres (3.7 in) TL. This is a small species of blenny with a body which is yellow to whitish in colour and is marked with three longitudinal black stripes. The more ventral stripe extending onto the base of the pectoral fin although not to the base of the anal fin. This species is thought to be a possible Batesian mimic of the Lined Fangblenny, Meiacanthus lineatus, which has a pair of venomous canine-like teeth in its lower jaw.
Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos, commonly called the bluestriped fangblenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian ocean. This species reaches a length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in) SL. It is also known as the bluestriped blenny, bluestriped sabretooth blenny, blunt-nose blenny, cleaner mimic, tube-worm blenny or the two-stripe blenny. They hide in deserted worm tubes or other small holes.
Gobioclinus gobio is a strictly marine ray finned fish, also called Gobioclinus gobio. Its common name is the palehead blenny, and is sometimes referred to as the goggle-eye blenny. It can be identified by its greenish top, red belly, and multicolored banding. L. gobio is a benthic organism with a wide range, taking up residence in a number of coastal environments from Florida to Brazil. This means the fish can live in equatorial, subtropical, and tropical climatic zones. It is native to coastal areas of the Caribbean. Its diet consists mainly of different molluscs and echinoderms.
Paraclinus grandicomis, the horned blenny, is a perciform marine species of labrisomid blenny native to reefs of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is a benthic fish so it cruises along above the sandy or rocky seabed and foraging for crustaceans.
The dusky spinefoot, also known the squaretail rabbitfish,is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean which has spread to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its fin spines contain venom. It is regarded as a food fish.
Scolopsis margaritifera, the pearly monocle bream or pearly spinecheek, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams. This fish is found in the marginally in the eastern Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific Ocean.
Scorpaena plumieri, the spotted scorpionfish, is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean.
