Malacoctenus aurolineatus
Goldline Blenny
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Labrisomidae (Labrisomid Blennies)
Malacoctenus
Malacoctenus aurolineatus (Goldline Blenny)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Nearly symmetrical dorsal and ventral profiles; maxilla covered posteriorly; short, bony point projecting from dorsolateral margin of cleithrum. Snout slightly spatulate. Anterior naris tubular with simple cirrus on posterior margin. Supraorbital cirrus short, slender, and biramous. Nuchal cirrus moderately long and multifid with 11 branches. Maxilla extends to anterior margin of orbit. Lips fleshy, upper lip with continuous fold. Jaw teeth canines in single row. Teeth on vomer, not on palatine. Gill rakers on first arch 10-12. Measurements (% SL): head length 24.4%-30.4%, snout length 7.6%-11.3%, orbital diameter 7.5%-10.4%, upper jaw length 8.1%-10.6%, body depth at pelvic fin origin 22.3%-24.4%. Pectoral fin 13-15 rays. Dorsal fin XVIII-XXI (usually XIX-XX) spines and 10-12 rays, first spine usually >10% SL and longer than second or third and last 4 spines. Pelvic fin I,3 rays, third ray usually ≤ half length of longest ray. Anal fin II,17-21 (usually 19-20) rays. Body covered with ctenoid scales except dorsal midline anterior to dorsal fin, prepectoral region, and breast. Scales on belly smaller than those on flank. Lateral line scales 42-55 (usually 48-53).
Dark tan with six rectangular dark brown bands: first two bands often coalesce to form humeral blotch, first three bands extend to ventral midline, and last three extend below midline as dark subquadrate splotches. Yellow lines along lower side of body. Fins lack pigment except dusky streak along dorsal fin base.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from southern Florida and the Bahamas to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
In the Gulf of Mexico at the Dry Tortugas and Campeche Bank.
Habitat Associations
Rocky shorelines to a depth of 6 m
Associated with rock-boring sea urchins
Biology
Maximum known size 60 mm SL
Inhabits limestone rock, rubble and coral reef areas. Usually near sea urchins (Ref. 9710). Feeds on amphipods and copepods (Ref. 13628).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2007-10-18.
References
Springer 1959b,c
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Robins and Ray 1986
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Williams 2002c
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Cervigón, F. (1994) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 3. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 295 p.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Comments On Malacoctenus aurolineatus