| Ophioblennius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ophioblennius atlanticus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Blenniidae |
| Subfamily: | Salarinae |
| Genus: | Ophioblennius T. N. Gill, 1860 |
| Type species | |
| Blennophis webbii Valenciennes, 1843 [1] | |
| Synonyms | |
Ophioblennius is a genus of combtooth blennies native to the Atlantic and to the Pacific coasts of the Americas.
There are currently five recognized species in this genus: [2]
Ophioblennius blennies have cylindrical bodies and blunt heads with cirri. [3] They can grow up to about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long. [2]
These blennies tend to live in shallow water, from 0–5.5 metres (0–18 ft).
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.
The mimic blenny or piano fangblenny, Plagiotremus tapeinosoma, is a blenny of the genus Plagiotremus, with a widespread Indo-Pacific distribution including New Zealand from depths of 8 to 30 metres. This species reaches a length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in) TL.
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 itself with its surroundings, even changing color to hide from predators. A special cousin of the blenny named ‘’’Matey Boy’’’ was be-friended in Turkey and adopted by the Rose family.
Salarias is a genus of combtooth blennies found in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Scartella cristata, also known by the vernacular names molly miller or molly miller blenny, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Blenniidae, the combtooth blennies. This species is found in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and northwest Pacific Oceans. Its colour is a mottled tan, white, and black covering the body and fins. The head of this fish is covered with short hair-like appendages and has two very large eyes. This species reaches 12 cm (4.7 in) in total length.
Cirripectes is a large genus of combtooth blennies found throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans. Cirripectes biconvexus, an otolith based fossil species from the Burdigalian (Miocene) of southwestern India is probably the earliest record of this genus.
Cirripectes vanderbilti, also known as the scarface blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the Hawaiian and Johnston Atoll in the eastern central Pacific ocean. This species reaches a length of 10 cm (3.9 in) SL. It is commonly confused with Cirripectes variolosus.
Nannosalarias nativitatis, the pygmy blenny or throatspot blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. This species grows to a length of 5 centimetres (2.0 in) TL. It is also commonly known as the Christmas blenny or the Christmas Island blenny. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Ophioblennius macclurei, the redlip blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Atlantic ocean. This species reaches a length of 12.2 centimetres (4.8 in) TL. The specific name honours the American comparative anatomist and embryologist Charles Freeman Williams McClure (1865-1955) in recognition of his work on the lymphatic systems of fishes.
Ophioblennius steindachneri, the large-banded blenny or the Panamic fanged blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the eastern Pacific ocean. This species reaches a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in) SL.
Ophioblennius trinitatis is a species of combtooth blenny endemic to the southwest Atlantic ocean. It is a subtropical marine fish commonly found in reefs off the coast of Brazil. Combtooth blennies are often referred to as "peixes-macacos" in Brazil, which translates to "monkey-fish".
The ringneck blenny is a species of combtooth blenny widespread in coastal waters of Eastern Atlantic from Spain and Portugal to Möwe Bay, Namibia, in the Mediterranean Sea from Morocco, Algeria, Spain. In the Southwest Atlantic it is found near Brazil and Patagonia, Argentina. Also in Western Indian Ocean from Natal to Knysna in South Africa. This species reaches a length of 12.7 centimetres (5.0 in) SL. It is the type species of the genus Parablennius
Ecsenius melarchus, known commonly as the yellow-eyed comb-tooth or the Java combtooth-blenny in Indonesia, is a species of combtooth blenny in the genus Ecsenius. It is found in coral reefs in the western Pacific ocean. It can reach a maximum length of 5 centimetres. Blennies in this species primarily feed off of plants, including benthic algae and weeds, and are commercial aquarium fish. The specific name "melarchus" is Latin for "black anus", and refers to the black anal marking on the blennies in this species.
Ecsenius yaeyamaensis, known commonly as the Yaeyama blenny in Guam and Micronesia, and also known as the Yaeyama clown blenny in Micronesia, or the Pale-spotted combtooth-blenny in Indonesia is a species of combtooth blenny in the genus Ecsenius. It is found in coral reefs in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. It can reach a maximum length of 6 centimetres. Blennies in this species feed primarily off of plants, including benthic algae and weeds, and are commercial aquarium fish.
Emblemariopsis bahamensis, the blackhead blenny, is a species of chaenopsid blenny found in coral reefs in the western Atlantic ocean. It and can reach a maximum length of 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) TL.
Starksia is a genus of labrisomid blennies native to the western Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Their typical length is 2 cm (0.79 in) SL. The generic name honours the American ichthyologist Edwin Chapin Starks (1867-1932) of Stanford University for his work on Pacific coastal fishes. As a genus Starksia is distinguished from other labrisomids by their scaled bodies, two obvious soft rays in the pelvic fin and the male's have an intromittent organ which is near to or attached to the first spine of their anal fins, which is also somewhat separated from the fin.
The eastern jumping blenny is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Lepidoblennius. It was described by Franz Steindachner in 1867 and is the type species of the genus Lepidoblennius.
Ophioblennius clippertonensis is a species of combtooth blenny from the eastern Pacific Ocean which is endemic to Clipperton Island, a French minor territory off the coast of Central America. It can be found on rocky reefs which are subjected to the tidal surge.
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