Species: Emblemaria atlantica, Banner Blenny

Emblemaria atlantica Jordan & Evermann, 1898

Banner Blenny

Body elongate; head relatively long and pointed, without spines; 2 smooth longitudinal ridges on snout; no bony ridges between eyes; a groove bordered by fleshy folds on each side of head from eye to dorsal fin (larger in male, absent in juvenile), a papilla at the front of those folds; 1 un-branched cirrus over eye, up to 3 times as long as eye in male; 1 row of teeth on each front-side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XXI-XXII, 14-16, center of spiny section much higher in male, peaking at spine VII, without a skin flap at base of 1st spine; anal fin II, 23 (21-23); pelvics I (internal), inserted before pectoral base, longer than pectoral, with 3 obvious rays (3rd ray ¼-1/2 length of longest ray); pectoral usually 14; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Male: dark reddish brown head and body; flank with a row of faint oblong pale blotches, pale saddles along upper back; dorsal fin with oblique dark bars or dark brown spiny part; tail fin clear; anal fin pale with dark spots along base to entirely dark brown; eye and nasal cirri barred; head with mottling. Female: mid-brown with mottling at front; 6 white bars outlined by dark lines on flank, dorsal fin with oblique spotted bars.

Reaches 7.5 cm.

Lives in rubble around reefs.

Depth range: 30-110 m on the continent; to intertidal at Bermuda.

Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico.