Blennioidei
Encyclopedia
The common name
blenny is ambiguous at best, as it has been applied to several families of perciform marine, brackish and some freshwater fish
es all sharing similar morphology (shape) and behaviour. There are six families considered "true blennies", all grouped together under the suborder Blennioidei; its members are referred to as blennioids. There are approximately 833 species in 130 genera within the suborder.
Blennioids are generally small fish, with elongate bodies (some almost eel
-like), relatively large eyes and mouths. Their dorsal fins are often continuous and long; the pelvic fins typically have a single embedded spine and are short and slender, situated before the pectoral fins. The tail fin is rounded. The blunt heads of blennioids often possess elaborate whisker-like structures called cirri. As generally benthic fish, blennioids spend much of their time on or near the sea floor; many are reclusive and may burrow in sandy substrates or inhabit crevices in reef
s, the lower stretches of rivers, or even empty mollusc shells.
These fish are superficially quite similar to members of the goby
and dragonet
families, as well as several other unrelated families whose members have occasionally been given the name "blenny".
The six "true blenny" families are as follows:
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
blenny is ambiguous at best, as it has been applied to several families of perciform marine, brackish and some freshwater fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
es all sharing similar morphology (shape) and behaviour. There are six families considered "true blennies", all grouped together under the suborder Blennioidei; its members are referred to as blennioids. There are approximately 833 species in 130 genera within the suborder.
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
-like), relatively large eyes and mouths. Their dorsal fins are often continuous and long; the pelvic fins typically have a single embedded spine and are short and slender, situated before the pectoral fins. The tail fin is rounded. The blunt heads of blennioids often possess elaborate whisker-like structures called cirri. As generally benthic fish, blennioids spend much of their time on or near the sea floor; many are reclusive and may burrow in sandy substrates or inhabit crevices in reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s, the lower stretches of rivers, or even empty mollusc shells.
These fish are superficially quite similar to members of the goby
Goby
The gobies form the family Gobiidae, which is one of the largest families of fish, with more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most are relatively small, typically less than 10 cm in length...
and dragonet
Dragonet
Dragonets are small, perciform, marine fish of the diverse family Callionymidae . Found mainly in the tropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific, the family contains approximately 186 species in 18 genera. The Draconettidae may be considered a sister family, whose members are very much alike,...
families, as well as several other unrelated families whose members have occasionally been given the name "blenny".
The six "true blenny" families are as follows:
- Blenniidae: combtooth blenniesCombtooth blennyCombtooth blennies are blennioids; perciform marine fish of the family Blenniidae. They are the largest family of blennies, with approximately 371 species in 53 genera represented...
, including the sabre-toothed blenniesSabre-toothed blennyThe sabre-toothed blenny, Aspidontus taeniatus, is a species of blenny that mimics the "dance" of Labroides dimidiatus; a similarly colored species of cleaner wrasse. It tricks fish into offering their underparts to be cleaned. Instead of eating parasites from the scales of the fish, the...
. - ChaenopsidaeChaenopsidaeThe blennioid family Chaenopsidae includes the pike-blennies, tube-blennies and flagblennies: all perciform marine fish. The family is strictly tropical, ranging from North to South America...
: pikeblennies, tubeblennies and flagblennies. - Clinidae: clinidClinidClinids are blennioids; perciform marine fish of the family Clinidae. Temperate blennies, the family ranges from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, in both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere...
s, including the giant kelpfishGiant kelpfishThe Giant Kelpfish is a marine fish found on the west coast of North America. It is found from British Columbia to southern Baja California....
. - Dactyloscopidae: sand stargazerSand stargazerSand stargazers are blennioids; perciform marine fish of the odd family Dactyloscopidae. Found in temperate to tropical waters of North and South America; some may also inhabit brackish environments....
s. - Labrisomidae.
- Tripterygiidae: threefin blenniesThreefin blennyThreefin or triplefin blennies are blennioids, small perciform marine fish of the family Tripterygiidae. Found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the family contains approximately 150 species in 30 genera...
.