WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Rusty Blenny

Parablennius sanguinolentus

Also known as: Azorean Rockpool Blenny, Black Sea Blenny, Coral Blenny, Reef Blenny, Rock Blenny

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2026
Adult
@JarJar · Isola Palmaria / La Spezia / North Italy, Italy · May 20111 / 8
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Overview

Found singly or in schools, in holes, between pebbles and margins, of algae covered steep rocky areas, over very shallow intertidal areas and in rock-pools exposed to sunlight and rich in algae growth.
They feed exclusively on algae.

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 · Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea
  • Exact location · 4
  • Country only · 4
LIVES IN

Found singly or in schools, in holes, between pebbles and margins, of algae covered steep rocky areas, over very shallow intertidal areas and in rock-pools exposed to sunlight and rich in algae growth.

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Adult photos 8

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

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    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderBlenniiformes
    5. familyBlenniidae
    6. genusParablennius
    7. speciesParablennius sanguinolentus (Pallas, 1814)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

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    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)