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Species: Hemiemblemaria simula, Wrasse Blenny

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head long, pointed, no cirri
jaws long, lower projects
yellow over white; +/- dark stripe - snout to C base
eye red; black blotch front D

Hemiemblemaria simula Longley & Hildebrand, 1940

Wrasse Blenny

Elongate; head elongate, pointed, not spiny on top; no cirri on nostrils, eyes or nape; jaws long, lower jaw projecting; top lips on sides of jaws and across front; tip of lower jaw without a pointed fleshy projection; 1 row of teeth on each side of roof of mouth; jaws with an outer row of large, curved teeth and an inner row of small teeth; dorsal fin XXI-XXIII, 17, a slight notch between spines and rays; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; no lateral line; no scales.

Color variable: yellowish to greenish yellow above, white below, with or without a broad dark stripe (which may be solid or broken) from the snout, through the eye to tail fin base, widening to a round black spot at base of tail fin; a black spot on outer part of dorsal fin near front; a central black stripe along the center of the snout and nape and along the back at the base of the spiny dorsal fin; eye red. Juveniles: translucent, with a black stripe.

Reaches 11.3 cm.

Lives on reefs, in old worm tubes.

Depth range: 5-17 m.

The Bahamas to the SW Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Sea anemones
  • Barnacles & worm tubes
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 11.3
Depth Range Min
  • 5
Depth Range Max
  • 17