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Species: Acanthemblemaria chaplini, Papillose blenny

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

forehead: short knobs on low 2 ridges
papillae: 3-6 between eyes, 1 between nostrils
eye cirrus heavily branched in 1 plane, asymmetric
D front: flap, large dark blotch
row white dashes top back, lower head & D base white spots

Acanthemblemaria chaplini Bohlke, 1957

Papillose blenny

Body elongate; short blunt head; short knobby spines on 2 low ridges from between eyes to mid-snout, raised edges at sides of area between eyes with a row of 3-6 blunt papillae; short blunt papilla on side of snout between front and rear nostrils; 1 pair of strongly and asymmetrically branched (branches in one plane, with short finger like multiple tips) cirri over eyes; nostrils with cirri; multiple rows of well-developed teeth on side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XXI-XXIII, 17-22, a flap on 1st spine, no notch between spiny and soft parts; anal fin II, 25-30; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Head orange to yellowish; body tan with many white and brown spots; lower head and body with dark dots; lower half of dorsal fin with white spots; front edge and border of 1st few spines of dorsal fin orange; a large black blotch spans the outer ¾ of the membranes between the first four dorsal spines.

Reaches 4.5 cm.

Lives in holes on limestone slopes & rubble around patch reefs.

Depth range: 2-12 m.

The Bahamas to the S Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Barnacles & worm tubes
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Planktivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Zooplankton
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Continent
  • All species..
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 4.5
Depth Range Min
  • 2
Depth Range Max
  • 12