Species: Stathmonotus tekla, Northern eelgrass blenny
N Caribbean
Stathmonotus tekla Nichols, 1910
Northern eelgrass blenny
Elongate, worm-like body; short, bluntly pointed head with large oblique mouth; head of males swollen, fleshy; cirri on nostrils, eyes (flap-like), nape, and lower corner of preoperculum; teeth on front of roof of mouth; rear edge of preopercle covered with skin; dorsal fin composed entirely of spines, with many elements, modally XLII (XXXIX-XLII); anal fin II, 21-26; dorsal and anal fins broadly joined to tail fin; pectoral large, 8-9 rays; tail fin 11 (10-12) segmented rays; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; body fully scaled; no lateral line.
Variable in color; brown to grayish-green with white, red or black spots present or absent on body and fins; sometimes greenish, with lighter blotches on head and body; often red lines on vertical fins.
Reaches 4 cm.
Lives in hard substrata, corals and sponges.
Depth range: 1-10 m.
The Bahamas to the SW Caribbean.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- All species..
- GC endemic
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 4
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 10
