Species: Acanthemblemaria aspera, Roughhead Blenny

Acanthemblemaria aspera (Longley, 1927)

Roughhead Blenny

Body elongate; short blunt head; small pointed spines on snout, extending back on forehead to less than half way to dorsal fin, 2 clusters of 3-5 spines behind eyes, spines without papillae; 1 pair of strongly and complexly branched cirri over eyes; nasal cirrus with 2-3 tips; multiple rows of well-developed teeth on side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XX-XXII (1st spine with a flap), 14-17, a notch between spiny and soft parts; anal fin II, 22-25; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Colors changeable: males colorless to dark, with many small dark dots on rear of head and front body, front of dorsal whitish, with an ocellus between spines III-IV; females usually yellowish with 3 broken lines under chin and throat; dark spots on operculum and pectoral base, 12-14 along base of dorsal fin, 10 along base of anal.

Reaches 4 cm.

Lives in holes on coral patch reefs.

Depth range: 1-26 m, usually < 9 m.

The Bahamas to the S Caribbean.