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Species: Nemaclinus atelestos, Threadfin blenny

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male: eye cirri long, red & white bars
mottled red-brow, oblique pale/white bar under eye
central rays of pectoral fin long
pelvics very long

Nemaclinus atelestos Bohlke & Springer, 1975

Threadfin blenny

Elongate, compressed; front nostril tubular, without cirrus; eye with a long, flattened, simple cirrus; nape with 1 pair of short simple cirri; top edge of top jaw tucked into a fold of skin when mouth is closed; front of roof of mouth with 4-7 large teeth, sides without any; upper jaws with 2 rows of teeth, lower jaws with 1 row; dorsal fin XXI-XXIII, 7-9, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin II, 18-19; pectoral 12, rays 8-9 (counted from above) elongate in both sexes; pelvic fins with with I (internal), 3, inner ray vestigial, other rays long, reaching to the center of the anal fin base, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line incomplete, well developed at front only, front arched part with 8-10 scales with tubes, rear straight part with an occasional pored scale; body completely scaled, smooth scales, head without scales.

Male: upper head and body reddish brown, with about 6 darker saddes on back, and about 5 dark blotches along mid flank; lower head yellowish, a prominent white, red-edged bar angled down and back from eye; eye cirri with red and white bars; dorsal fin reddish, spinous part with a yellow basal strip, a black spot on membrane between 1st two spines and a yellow outer edge over first several spines; anal fin blackish, with a white outer edge. Female: head and body red-brown, a series of 6 darker saddles, each followed by a white spot, along upper back, about 6 dark blotches along mid-side; several pale bars under eye angled forwards and backwards; dorsal and anal fins mottled with red marks; a red spot at the front of the dorsal fin; pelvics with 2 reddish bars.

Reaches 3.8 cm.

Habitat: caught in dredges and trawls so lives on soft bottoms, sometimes adjacent to reef structures.

Depth range: 27-256 m.

Bermuda to the SW Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Sand & gravel
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Insular primarily
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Continent
  • All species..
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 3.8
Depth Range Min
  • 27
Depth Range Max
  • 256