Species: Paraclinus marmoratus, Marbled blenny
white bar: eye to pectoral base
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.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- Corals
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Sponges
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Continental primarily
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 7.8
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 7
