Forktail Blenny
Meiacanthus atrodorsalis
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Blenniiformes
- Family
- Blenniidae
- Genus
- Meiacanthus
- Species
- Meiacanthus atrodorsalis
The forktail blenny (Meiacanthus atrodorsalis) is a small fangblenny with a blue-grey front half, a yellow rear and a forked tail. A dark line runs from its eye along the front of its dorsal fin.
It grows to about 11 cm and swims in open water above the reef, feeding on plankton. Its venomous fangs make it unpalatable, and several other fish mimic its colours.
The forktail blenny is found in the western Pacific, including the Philippines, where it hovers over coral reefs. It is a relative of the bluestriped fangblenny.