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Species: Chaenopsis resh, Resh pike-blenny, Resh Pikeblenny

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central pore between 2 pores above rear edge eye
inverted L behind eye
D XVIII-XIX, 35-37
male front D: black + ocellus

Chaenopsis resh Robins & Randall, 1965

Resh pike-blenny

Body very elongate; head long; snout long & strongly pointed, from above bluntly V shaped; 2 pores above rear part of each eye, with a central pore between those; no cirri on head; long mouth, reaching far behind eye, tip of lower jaw projecting; 19-27 gill rakers; dorsal  fin elevated at front, XVIII-XIX, 35-37; anal fin II, 36-37; dorsal and anal joined to tail fin; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; tail rounded; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Male: head and body pale grey-green, paler below; a dark “7” shaped mark behind eye; chin salmon-tipped; front of dorsal black, with an ocellus between spines II-III; rays of throat membranes black at front, bright blue at rear; a stripe formed of a series of dark blotches (some with vertical extensions) along mid-flank; 16 groups of dark spots in a chain-link pattern along upper body above flank stripe; upper head with diagonal dark streaks, top with dark spots, throat membranes black; soft dorsal with 3 rows of brownish orange spots and 2 rows of pale blue dots. Female: yellow grey; lower head and belly yellow; iris orange-brown; a dark inverted “7” mark behind eye; a dark stripe along midflank composed of a row of close-set spots, every 2nd spot with vertical extensions; with rows of spots along entire soft dorsal, those forming diagonal bars on spiny dorsal.

Reaches 13 cm.

Lives in worm tubes in sandy bottoms, and around reefs.

Depth range: 1-10 m.

S Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom only
  • Sand & gravel
  • Barnacles & worm tubes
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Continent
  • All species..
  • Caribbean endemic
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 13
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 10