Species: Acanthemblemaria paula, Dwarf spinyhead blenny
cirri: eye v branched, nasal 2-3 tips
Acanthemblemaria paula Johnson & Brothers, 1989
Dwarf spinyhead blenny
Body elongate; short blunt head; sharp pointed, forward pointing spines on snout, to 2/3 distance between eyes and dorsal fin; 2 clusters of 8-11 spines behind eyes; multiple rows of well-developed teeth on side of roof of mouth; 1 pair of heavily branched cirri over eyes, each cirrus with up to 30 tips; nostrils with branched cirri with 2-3 tips; dorsal fin XVIII-XX, 15-19, fleshy flap at front of fin, a slight notch between spiny and soft parts; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.
Head and front of body pale grey, with black and greenish markings, lower head and chest blackish; rear transparent, with alternating black and white marks along mid-flank and along median fin bases; 7-8 white blotches along vertebrae; dorsal fin with a large white blotch at front.
Reaches 2.5 cm.
Found in invertebrate burrows in dead corals.
Depth range: 1-2 m.
NW Caribbean.
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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- Barnacles & worm tubes
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Zooplankton
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- 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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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 2.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 2
