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Species: Paraclinus marmoratus, Marbled Blenny

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

cirri: nostrils, eye, nape
white bar: eye to pectoral base
D front spines v long, form separate flap
ocelli: D 2 (0-4); A 1 (0-2)
opercular spine 1 point, long, reaches under 3rd D spine

Paraclinus marmoratus (Steindachner, 1876)

Marbled Blenny

Elongate, snout bluntly pointed; simple cirri on nostrils; cirrus on eyes consists of 1-4 slender, short filaments from a single base; a short flat, fringed cirrus on each side of nape; opercle with 1-pointed spine that reaches under 3rd dorsal spine; dorsal fin XXVIII-XXX flexible spines, 1 ray, deep notch between 3rd and 4th dorsal spines, first 2 spines greatly elevated, forming a rectangular flap that is almost separated from main part of fin; anal fin II, 19-21; pectoral 12-14; pelvic fins with I (internal), 3; all fin rays unbranched; 2-4 rows of scales on pectoral base; lateral line complete, continuous, arched over pectoral fin, 35-40 scales; smooth scales on rear of body.

Tan to dark brown; body mottled with tan and white, with 6 dark bars that extend onto dorsal and anal fins; head mottled above, purplish brown below, a whitish bar angle back from eye to lower corner of operculum and pectoral base; rear of dorsal fin with 2 (0-4) ocelli, rear of anal fin with 1 (0-2); high front of dorsal fin often with narrow black and white stripes; pelvic, pectoral and tail fins each with 0-1 dark bars.

Reaches 7.8 cm.

Lives in sponges in seagrass beds and on shallow lagoonal reefs.

Depth range: 5-7 m.

The Gulf of Mexico to the S Caribbean.

Note: Its Brazilian sister species is P. spectator.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Sponges
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • 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)
  • Continental primarily
  • 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
  • 7.8
Depth Range Min
  • 5
Depth Range Max
  • 7