Species: Chasmodes saburrae, Florida Blenny

Chasmodes saburrae Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

Florida Blenny

Elongate, compressed; short blunt head with pointed snout and curved front profile; a single, small cirrus at eye, a filamentous flap at front nostril; teeth closely packed, lower jaw teeth with broadly rounded tips; no canines; front sides of lower jaws with a pair of prominent skin flaps; gill openings restricted to sides of body by fusion of gill cover membranes to throat; 13 (12-14) gill rakers; dorsal fin with at most a slight notch between spiny & soft parts, X-XI, 16-20; anal fin II, 17-20; tail fin with 10-11 segmented rays; pectoral usually 12; fin rays unbranched, except on tail fin; lateral line ends about mid-body; no scales.

Olive to red-brown; cheek densely peppered with dark dots; body with red brown and pale spots, lines and mottling; a blue spot at front of dorsal fin, followed by a pale streak.

Reaches 9.2 cm.

Lives in seagrass beds, occasionally in oyster beds; sometimes in quite low salinities.

Depth range: 0-15 m.

Florida and the NE Gulf of Mexico.