Pholidichthys leucotaenia
Encyclopedia
Pholidichthys leucotaenia, commonly known as the convict blenny/goby or the engineer blenny/goby, is a marine fish from the Western Central Pacific. It is neither a blenny nor a goby
but is in fact one of two species in the family
Pholidichthyidae
.
DNA analyses suggest this species is neither a blenny nor a goby, but part of a separate fish family, the Pholidichthyidae
.
In the Solomon Islands
, researchers under Eugenie Clark
, found juveniles emerging from holes in the seafloor and adjoining coral reefs. By day these juveniles swim up to 50 meters from their home burrows to feed on plankton. At the end of the day all returned to the burrows, remarkable and unique behaviour for larval fish.
While their young are out feeding, the parents busy themselves with housekeeping chores, ejecting mouthfuls of debris from the burrows. Research has revealed a maze of tunnels and chambers totalling a length of some six meters. At night young fish dangled by their mouths from the roof of the tunnels by thin mucous threads.
Adults may grow to some 60 cms, but never leave the tunnels to feed. They frequently take in mouthfuls of juveniles and spit them out again. An inspection of adult stomachs showed only a green slime.
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...
but is in fact one of two species in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pholidichthyidae
Pholidichthyidae
Pholidichthys is a genus of perciform fish which consists of two species of the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is the only genus in the family Pholidichthyidae.-Species:* Pholidichthys anguis Springer & Larson, 1996...
.
Description
The convict blenny is a small eel-shaped fish which can grow up to 34 cm in length. Juveniles resemble the striped catfish Plotosus lineatus, which is venomous, having a black body with a white dorsal stripe. As they develop, the stripe changes to white convict-style barring or spotting in the adult.Ecology
The convict blenny lives in shallow lagoons and on coastal reefs from the Philippines to the Solomon Islands. It is often found in schools under ledges or around coral heads. These schools swim in such tight formations that they resemble a single organism. This blenny occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, where it is known for disrupting all but the most stable structures.DNA analyses suggest this species is neither a blenny nor a goby, but part of a separate fish family, the Pholidichthyidae
Pholidichthyidae
Pholidichthys is a genus of perciform fish which consists of two species of the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is the only genus in the family Pholidichthyidae.-Species:* Pholidichthys anguis Springer & Larson, 1996...
.
In the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, researchers under Eugenie Clark
Eugenie Clark
Eugenie Clark , popularly known as The Shark Lady, is an American ichthyologist known for her research on poisonous fish of the tropical seas and on the behaviour of sharks.-Academic life:...
, found juveniles emerging from holes in the seafloor and adjoining coral reefs. By day these juveniles swim up to 50 meters from their home burrows to feed on plankton. At the end of the day all returned to the burrows, remarkable and unique behaviour for larval fish.
While their young are out feeding, the parents busy themselves with housekeeping chores, ejecting mouthfuls of debris from the burrows. Research has revealed a maze of tunnels and chambers totalling a length of some six meters. At night young fish dangled by their mouths from the roof of the tunnels by thin mucous threads.
Adults may grow to some 60 cms, but never leave the tunnels to feed. They frequently take in mouthfuls of juveniles and spit them out again. An inspection of adult stomachs showed only a green slime.