Species: Acanthemblemaria spinosa, Spinyhead Blenny

Acanthemblemaria spinosa Metzelaar, 1919

Spinyhead Blenny

Body elongate; short blunt head; short, pointed, forward pointing spines on snout and back almost to dorsal fin; lower edge of eye socket spiny, rear edge serrated; cirri on nostrils, over eyes (1 pair, weakly branched), but not on nape; multiple rows of well-developed teeth on side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XX-XXII, 13-16, a notch between spiny and soft parts; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Variable; front of head greenish brown, rear dark brown with small white spots; iris yellow; a brownish blotch (bordered with a white oblique bar) behind eye; males may be nearly uniformly dark, snout and forehead white, to spotted with 8-12 small brown blotches along dorsal and anal fin bases and along mid-side.

Reaches 3.5 cm.

Lives in coral patches, often in worm tubes.

Depth range: 1-30 m.

The Bahamas to the S Caribbean.