Labrisomids are small blennioids, perciform marine 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...

 belonging to the family Labrisomidae. Found mostly in the tropical Atlantic

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 and Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

, the family contains approximately 98 species in 14 genera.

Stockier than the average blenny, labrisomids are elongate nonetheless; their dorsal fin spines outnumber soft rays (which may be absent altogether), and the pelvic fins are long and slender. Like many other blennies, labrisomids have whisker-like structures called cirri on the head and nape. Scales may be cycloid or absent in labrisomids; many species are brightly coloured. The hairy blenny (Labrisomus nuchipinnis) is the largest species at 23 centimeres in length; most are far smaller.

Generally staying within shallow coastal regions to depths of c. 10 metres, labrisomids are benthic fish spending most of their time on or near the bottom. Both sandy and rocky substrates are frequented, sometimes at reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

s or amongst beds of seagrass

Seagrass

Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...

. Labrisomids are shy fish and will retreat into crevices if threatened. Crustacean

Crustacean

Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...

s, gastropods, brittle star

Brittle star

Brittle stars or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea closely related to starfish. They crawl across the seafloor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to in length on the largest specimens...

s and sea urchin

Sea urchin

Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...

s make up much of the labrisomid diet.

Two genera of labrisomid are noted for their ovoviviparity

Ovoviviparity

Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, or ovivipary, is a mode of reproduction in animals in which embryos develop inside eggs that are retained within the mother's body until they are ready to hatch...

; Xenomedea and Starksia

Starksia

Starksia is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known from the southeastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Smooth-eye blenny, Starksia atlantica Longley, 1934* Starksia brasiliensis...

both retain eggs within the oviduct

Oviduct

In non-mammalian vertebrates, the passageway from the ovaries to the outside of the body is known as the oviduct. The eggs travel along the oviduct. These eggs will either be fertilized by sperm to become a zygote, or will degenerate in the body...

 where they develop in safety. However, only Starksia species possess a gonopodium (a modified anal fin used as a copulatory organ).

Genera

• Alloclinus
• Auchenionchus
  Auchenionchus
  Auchenionchus is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known from the southeastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Auchenionchus crinitus * Auchenionchus microcirrhis...
  
  
• Calliclinus
  Calliclinus
  Calliclinus is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known from the southeastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Calliclinus geniguttatus * Calliclinus nudiventris Cervigón & Pequeño, 1979...
  
  
• Cottoclinus
• Cryptotrema
  Cryptotrema
  Cryptotrema is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known from the eastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Deep-water blenny Cryptotrema corallinum Gilbert, 1890* Hidden blenny Cryptotrema seftoni Hubbs, 1954...
  
  
• Dialommus
  Dialommus
  Dialommus is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known from the eastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Galápagos four-eyed blenny, Dialommus fuscus Gilbert, 1891* Foureye rockskipper, Dialommus macrocephalus...
  
  
• Exerpes
• Haptoclinus
• Labrisomus
  Labrisomus
  Labrisomus is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known largely from the western Atlantic and southeastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Whitecheek blenny, Labrisomus albigenys Beebe & Tee-Van, 1928...
  
  
• Malacoctenus
  Malacoctenus
  Malacoctenus is a genus of tropical fish in the family Labrisomidae.- Species :*Malacoctenus africanus*Malacoctenus tetranemus – Throatspotted blenny*Malacoctenus aurolineatus – Goldline blenny*Malacoctenus gilli – Dusky blenny...
  
  
• Nemaclinus
• Paraclinus
  Paraclinus
  Paraclinus is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known largely from the eastern central Pacific and western Atlantic Ocean.-Species:* Topgallant blenny, Paraclinus altivelis...
  
  
• Starksia
  Starksia
  Starksia is a genus of blennies in the labrisomidae family, known from the southeastern Pacific Ocean.-Species:* Smooth-eye blenny, Starksia atlantica Longley, 1934* Starksia brasiliensis...
  
  
• Xenomedea