Description
Also known as Convict Fish, Convict Goby, Convict Worm Blenny, Engineer Blenny, Engineer Goby, False Catfish, Worm Blenny, Zebra Blenny.
Found singly, or in large schools, in burrows, crevices and holes, over shallow, coral heads, under ledges, and over rubble areas, of lagoons and coral reefs. Adults very secretive.
They feed on crustaceans and plankton.
Juveniles found in large schools, often in a tight formation, mimicking the poisonous striped catfish.
Length - 34cm
Depth - 3-30m
Western Central Pacific - Phillipines to the Solomon Islands
These Blennies mimic the Stripped Catfish - Plotosus lineatus
http://www.whatsthatfish.com/fish/striped-catfish/98
Convict Blennies are not true Blennies and with age they grow into their convict suits!
They live in a maze of burrows usually coming out to feed at night. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pholidichthys-leucotaenia.html
2 comments
Posted by @fishx6Difficult to say, Blennies are very small, could be a small moray eel although they don't usually attack, but if you get close to any nest fish don't like it and try to see you off!
Posted by @lawrenceSwiming in the Andaman Sea in Phuket about 100m off the Amanpuri Resort I was bitten by a black and white eel-like fish (6-8" long). It continued to follow and nip me across both the shallow reef and sand bed and only stopped after I swam to the beach. Although a regular open water swimmer, I have never experienced this before. I can only assume it mistook me for a sea creature and was either looking to feed or form a symbiotic experience. Could it have been a Convict Blenny? Or any other suggestions?