WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Leaping Blenny

Alticus saliens

Also known as: Crested Blenny, Jumping Blenny, Leaping Rockskipper, Lizard Skipper, Rock Hopper, Rockskipper, Walking Blenny

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2026
Adult
@essjaynz · Chantilly's on the Bay, Vanuatu · May 20191 / 3
01

Overview

Found singly, skipping from pool to pool, over very shallow, coastal rock pools. Breathing air when out of water.

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.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
bars

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found singly, skipping from pool to pool, over very shallow, coastal rock pools.

04

Adult photos 3

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderBlenniiformes
    5. familyBlenniidae
    6. genusAlticus
    7. speciesAlticus saliens (Forster, 1788)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)