Genus: Labrisomus, Blennies, Hairy Blenny

LABRISOMUS

BLENNIES

Body robust; head broad, snout blunt; eye large; a branched cirrus over each eye, 2 or more heavily branched cirri on each side of nape; mouth large, slightly oblique, rear of top jawbone exposed, not in a sheath; patches of small teeth behind outer row of large teeth on upper jaw; teeth on sides of roof of mouth, if present, equal to or smaller than those on center of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XVIII-XXI, notched between spines and rays; pelvic fins with 1 internal spine, 3 soft rays, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; scales on lateral line >55, less than ½ those on rear straight part of lateral line with front pore covered by scale in front of it; lateral line tubes or canals at least on front of body; smooth scales on rear of body.

A tropical to warm temperate genus found on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the eastern Pacific; with 20 species; 9 species in the Greater Caribbean, 8 endemics and 1 W and E Atlantic.