Parablennius marmoreus
Seaweed Blenny
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Blenniidae (Combtooth Blennies)
Parablennius
Parablennius marmoreus (Seaweed 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
Several cirri on eye, gill openings continuous across isthmus. Snout is blunt, dorsal profile of head is very steep. Lips are not conspicuous, dorsal lip lacks a free margin across symphysis, and ventral lip has a poorly developed lip fold. Anterior naris terminates as a short tube that bears a triangular flap. Posterior naris is a small pore with a slightly raised margin. Supraorbital cirrus has several branches. Jaw teeth are bluntly pointed, with posterior canines in both jaws. Vomer lacks teeth. Gill rakers on first arch number 11 to 13. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 25.7%–29.6%, snout length 5.3%–9.3%, eye diameter 5.2%–7.1%, upper jaw length 9.9%–11.7%, body depth at pelvic fin insertion 21.7%–23.8%, caudal peduncle depth 8%–8.2%. Pectoral fin has 14 rays. Dorsal fin has 12 spines and 17 to 18 rays. Pelvic fin has 1 spine and 3 rays. Anal fin has 2 spines and 19 or 20 rays. Caudal fin is broadly rounded and has 13 segmented rays. Lateral line extends from upper opercular angle to near end of spinous section of dorsal fin and has 11 to 13 pores.
Color is tan, rusty, or orangish, with orange spots on head and brown spots on side. Spots may coalesce to form a broad dusky stripe extending from head to caudal fin, with stripe most distinct anteriorly. Some specimens are predominately yellow.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from New York and Bermuda to northern South America, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Rock reefs
Biology
Food consists mostly of algae.
Maximum known size is about 80 mm SL.
Adults inhabit eroded basins and limestone boulders covered by an algal mat, sea fans, etc. (Ref. 5521). Sometimes around mangrove roots, young are sometimes found in floating Sargassum (Ref. 26938). Omnivorous, but feed mostly on algae (Ref. 13442). Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters). Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2007-10-18. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial.
References
Kanazawa 1952
Springer and Woodburn 1960
Briggs et al. 1964
Hoese and Moore 1977, 1998
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Williams 2002e
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
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.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Cervigón, F. (1994) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 3. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 295 p.
Pattengill, C.V., B.X. Semmens and S.R. Gittings (1997) Reef fish trophic structure at the Flower Gardens and Stetson Bank, NW Gulf of Mexico. Proc. 8th Int. Coral Reef Sym. 1:1023-1028.
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