WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Crested Blenny

Hypleurochilus geminatus

Also known as: Coral Blenny, Oyster Blenny, Reef Blenny, Rock Blenny

Adult
@blennyFinatic · Kiawah Island, United States · March 20231 / 2
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Overview

Found singly, or in pairs, often perched near their holes, or with their heads just poking out, over oyster reefs and rocky areas, in shallow, coastal waters.

Combtooth Blennies are the largest family of blennies, found in both tropical and subtropical waters and freshwater habitats, as the name suggests they have comb like teeth lining their jaws, well suited for scraping food off hard surfaces!
Reef and rock blennies are usually territorial and have their own areas of rock pools which they skip and jump over, scraping algae from the surface of dead corals. Some male blennies have small harems of arguing females.
Males and females often have different colouring and features.

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How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
cirri

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic
  • Country only · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in pairs, often perched near their holes, or with their heads just poking out, over oyster reefs and rocky areas, in shallow, coastal waters.

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Adult photos 2

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderBlenniiformes
    5. familyBlenniidae
    6. genusHypleurochilus
    7. speciesHypleurochilus geminatus (Wood, 1825)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)