Species: Emblemaria piratula, Pirate Blenny

Emblemaria piratula Ginsburg & Reid, 1942

Pirate Blenny

Body elongate; head relatively long, snout pointed; head without spines; bones around front and below eye very rough and pitted; 2 strong rough bony ridges along snout; 1 long, stout unbranched cirrus over eye; 1 row of teeth on each side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XVII-XX, 13-15, front of spiny section much higher in male, peaking at spine IV-VI; anal fin II, 20-21; pelvics I (internal), inserted before pectoral base, longer than pectoral, with 2 obvious rays (3rd ray vestigial or <1/5 length of longest ray); pectoral fin 12-13; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Male: front half black, grading to grey with yellow tints at rear; base to lower half of first few dorsal spines with a triangular patch of orange to gold; eye cirrus unmarked. Female: mottled brown at front, pale grey at rear.

Reaches 5 cm.

Lives in rubble around reefs.

Depth range: 1-91 m, usually below 12 m.

N Carolina to the N Gulf of Mexico.