Species: Nemaclinus atelestos, Threadfin Blenny

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.