WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Linear Blenny

Ecsenius lineatus

Also known as: Coral Blenny, Dot Dash Blenny, Linear Clown Blenny, Lineatus Blenny, Lined Blenny, Lined Combtooth, Lined Combtooth Blenny, Lined Coral Blenny, Reef Blenny, Rock Blenny, Striped Blenny, Teardrop Blenny

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2026
Adult
@fishx6 · Mirihi Island Resort, Maldives · February 20071 / 5
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Overview

Found singly or in small schools, over clearwater, coastal, and outer reef slopes, rich in coral growth.
They feed on algae from dead coral bases.

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

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 5
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, over clearwater, coastal, and outer reef slopes, rich in coral growth.

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Adult photos 5

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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. genusEcsenius
    7. speciesEcsenius lineatus Klausewitz, 1962

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

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    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)