WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Shanny

Lipophrys pholis

Also known as: Common Blenny, Common Shanny, Coral Blenny, European Shanny, Reef Blenny, Rock Blenny, Shan

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2026
Adult
@fishx6 · United Kingdom · May 20121 / 4
01

Overview

Found singly, in or out of shallow waters, often hiding under rocks and seaweeds, over inter-tidal rock pools and rocky reefs, more active during the day at high tide. Breaths air when out the 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
blotches

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean
  • Exact location · 1
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found singly, in or out of shallow waters, often hiding under rocks and seaweeds, over inter-tidal rock pools and rocky reefs, more active during the day at high tide.

04

Adult photos 4

05

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. genusLipophrys
    7. speciesLipophrys pholis (Linnaeus, 1758)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)