Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Paraclinus barbatus, Goatee blenny

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

nape & eye cirri like paddles
D deep notch after 3rd spine, 3 ocelli
red/orange; back: white blotches
chin: prominent central barbel

Paraclinus barbatus Springer, 1955

Goatee blenny

Elongate, snout bluntly pointed; a prominent eye-length barbell on tip of chin; simple cirri on nostrils, cirri on eyes and nape are paddle-like with rounded knobs on their ends; opercular spine reaches past under 3rd dorsal spine; dorsal fin XXVIII-XXIX flexible spines, 1 ray, deep notch between 3rd and 4th dorsal spines, front spines slightly elevated; anal fin II, 19-20; pectorals 13; pelvic fins I (internal), 3; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line complete, continuous, arched over pectoral fin, 37 scales, many without tubes; smooth scales on rear of body.

Body burnt orange to red; upper body with large irregular white blotches; head darker, grading to purplish red at front; snout and chin barbel whitish; a purplish-red, white bordered bar from eye down to underside; iris orange red, with black radiating lines; a white blotch from lower edge of preopercle down to underside; a white blotch down and back from inner pectoral base to underside; pectoral and pelvics yellow, with 3 black bars; dorsal fin with orange base, white outer part, 3 black, yellow-and red-ringed ocelli on rear part; anal fin base black, outer part white; tail fin white, with black bars.

Reaches 5 cm.

Lives in areas of rich coral cover on dropoffs.

Depth range: 12-50 m.

The Bahamas to the S Caribbean.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef only
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species..
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 5
Depth Range Min
  • 12
Depth Range Max
  • 50