WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Orange-spotted Blenny

Hypleurochilus springeri

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

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2025
Adult
@d7avid · caneel bay, US Virgin Islands · December 20161 / 1
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Overview

Found singly, or in pairs, often perched near their holes, or with their heads just poking out, in very shallow, calm waters, of quiet, rocky, coastal harbours, and shores.

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

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in pairs, often perched near their holes, or with their heads just poking out, in very shallow, calm waters, of quiet, rocky, coastal harbours, and shores.

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Adult photos 1

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Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • Catriona· 9 Mar 2021

    The first (upside down) photo is a Saddled Blenny.

    Helpful
ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderBlenniiformes
  5. familyBlenniidae
  6. genusHypleurochilus
  7. speciesHypleurochilus springeri Randall, 1966

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

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More in the family

Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)