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Species: Malacoctenus triangulatus, Saddled Blenny

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back: 4 triangular saddles + end tail-base bar
+/- scattered red dots

Malacoctenus triangulatus Springer, 1959

Saddled Blenny

Head slender, snout pointed; one 2-4 branched cirrus over nostril, a long 2-8 branched cirrus over eye, a pair of 4-13 branched cirri on each side of nape; upper part of rear end of top jaw covered by bone under eye; no small teeth behind outer row of large teeth on upper jaws; no teeth on sides of roof of mouth; notch between spines and rays of dorsal fin, XIX (XIX-XXI), 11-13; pectoral rays usually 14; pelvic fins with I (internal), 3, last not more than 1/2 length of longest ray, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; 52-61 lateral line scales; pectoral base with or without scales, any present are smaller than body scales; lateral line tubes or canals at least on front of body; smooth scales on rear of body.

Pale yellowish to whitish; 4-5 brown to reddish triangular saddles along upper body + a bar at the end of the tail base; red spots along lower side between the tips of the saddles; a dark spot at front base of dorsal fin; sometimes a dark stripe from eye back along upper body; fins of male clear, those of female densely spotted.

Maximum length 5.8 cm.

Lives in a wide variety of clear-water habitats containing rock and coral, in sheltered areas.

Depth range: 0-18 m, but usually < 3 m.

Florida to the S Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Sea anemones
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 5.8
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 18