| Xiphasia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hairtail Blenny (X. setifer) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Blenniidae |
| Subfamily: | Blenniinae |
| Genus: | Xiphasia Swainson, 1839 |
| Type species | |
| Xiphasia setifer Swainson, 1839 | |
Xiphasia is a small genus of combtooth blennies found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. [1]
The currently recognized species in this genus are: [1]
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.
Algae eater or algivore is a common name for any bottom-dwelling or filter-feeding aquatic animal species that specialize in feeding on algae and phytoplanktons. Algae eaters are important for the fishkeeping hobby and many are commonly kept by aquarium hobbyists to improve water quality. They are also important primary consumers that relay the biomass and energy from photosynthetic autotrophes up into the food web, as well as protecting the aquatic ecosystem against algae blooms.
Malacoctenus is a genus of labrisomid blennies native to the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
Salarias is a genus of combtooth blennies found in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Ecsenius is a large genus of fish in the family Blenniidae. Several species, including Ecsenius midas, the Midas blenny, and Ecsenius bicolor, the bicolor blenny, are commonly sold at aquarium stores as pets.
Acanthemblemaria is a genus of chaenopsid blennies native to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
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.
Hypleurochilus is a genus of combtooth blennies found throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
Hypsoblennius is a genus of combtooth blennies found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
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.
Omobranchus is a large genus of combtooth blennies found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
Parablennius is a diverse genus of combtooth blennies found in the Atlantic, western Pacific, and Indian Ocean.
Xiphasia setifer, the hairtail blenny or the snake blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. This species reaches 53 cm (21 in) in SL and is the longest species of combtooth blenny. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.
Emblemaria is a genus of chaenopsid blennies found throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Labrisomus is a genus of labrisomid blennies native to the western Atlantic ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Paraclinus is a genus of labrisomid blennies native to eastern Pacific Ocean and the western Atlantic Ocean.
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.
Cichliformes is an order of fishes. Its members were previously classified under the order Perciformes, but now many authorities consider it to be an independent order within the subseries Ovalentaria.
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