Blennies

Marine Life / Blennies

The big-eyed, characterful little fish that peer out from holes, shells and corals across the reef.

• Snake Blenny Xiphasia setifer

  The snake blenny (Xiphasia setifer), also called the hairtail blenny, is an extraordinarily long, eel-like blenny that lives in burrows in sand and mud.

• Segmented Blenny Salarias segmentatus

  The segmented blenny (Salarias segmentatus) is a small rockskipper-type blenny with a banded, segmented-looking body and a fringe of cirri above the eyes.

• Jewelled Blenny Salarias fasciatus

  The jewelled blenny (Salarias fasciatus) is a chunky, algae-grazing blenny with a mottled green-brown body sprinkled with tiny pale spots like jewels.

• Floral Blenny Petroscirtes mitratus

  The floral blenny (Petroscirtes mitratus), also known as the highfin fangblenny, is a small blenny with a tall dorsal fin and leafy, flower-like cirri on its head.

• Shorthead Fangblenny Petroscirtes breviceps

  The shorthead fangblenny (Petroscirtes breviceps) is a small, striped blenny that often shelters in bottles, cans and empty shells on muck sites.

• Pictus Blenny Ecsenius pictus

  The pictus blenny (Ecsenius pictus) is a small combtooth blenny with a pale body marked by rows of dark spots and lines, usually seen perched on sponges or coral.

• Twinspot Blenny Ecsenius bimaculatus

  The twinspot blenny (Ecsenius bimaculatus) is a small combtooth blenny named for the two dark spots near its tail.

• False Cleanerfish Aspidontus taeniatus

  The false cleanerfish (Aspidontus taeniatus) is a sabretooth blenny that mimics the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, using the disguise to bite chunks of fin and skin from unsuspecting fish.

• Starry Blenny Salarias ramosus

  The starry blenny (Salarias ramosus) is a dark, white-speckled blenny with branched cirri on its head, often seen resting on coral rubble.

• Bluestriped Fangblenny Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos

  The bluestriped fangblenny (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos) is a slender blenny with two blue stripes, occurring in black-and-blue or orange colour forms.

• Tropical Striped Triplefin Helcogramma striata

  The tropical striped triplefin (Helcogramma striata) is a tiny, blenny-like fish with orange, white and dark stripes running along its body and three separate dorsal fins, typical of triplefins.

• Forktail Blenny Meiacanthus atrodorsalis

  The forktail blenny (Meiacanthus atrodorsalis) is a small fangblenny with a blue-grey front half, a yellow rear and a forked tail.