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Species: Gobioclinus bucciferus, Puffcheek blenny

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no opercular ocellus, 2 dark spots behind eye, oblique bar back from eye
D XX, 1st spine long
body bars onto D & A, 2nd bar narrow
C base: 3 light spots
pelvic: 3rd ray >1/2 2nd, 4 dark bars
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This Species (8) This Genus (6) Similar Species (9)

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Gobioclinus bucciferus Poey, 1868

Puffcheek blenny

Body robust; head broad, snout blunt; eye large; a branched cirrus over each eye; 2 or more heavily branched cirri on each side of nape; mouth large, slightly oblique, rear of top jawbone exposed, not in a sheath;  patches of small teeth behind outer row of large teeth on upper jaw; teeth present on sides of roof of mouth, some of those are distinctly larger than teeth at front of roof of mouth; a notch between spines and rays of dorsal fin, XX (XIX- XXI), 10-12, 1st spine longest; anal fin II, 20; pectoral rays usually 13; pelvic fins with 1 internal spine, 3 soft rays, 3rd ray >1/2 length of longest ray, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; 45-48 lateral line scales; lateral line tubes or canals at least on front of body; smooth scales on rear of body.

Body with 4-5 greenish brown bars that are darker in center; a row of pale spots along center flank between dark bars; interspaces between bars paler green and edged with vertical white lines on lower body; operculum without an ocellus; 2 small dark spots behind center of eye; distinct oblique dark bar down and back from eye; lining of body cavity dark grey to black; males with red head & red barred fins, females with heavily spotted fins.

Reaches 9 cm.

Lives in a variety of habitats including tide pools, rocks and ledges on sand, low overgrown coral formations, patch reefs, turtle grass and rock areas, eroded limestone, areas both surgy and sheltered.

Depth range: 0-15 m.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean.

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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Corals
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • GC endemic
  • Continental primarily
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • All species..
  • Island (s)
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 9
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 15