Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Family: CHAENOPSIDAE, Barnacle Blennies, Pike Blennies, Signal Blennies, Tube Blennies, Tube Blenny, Worm Blennies


All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

cirri: +/-nostrils & eyes, usually not nape
head often rough
D continuous, usually more spines than rays
D & A bases long
no LL
almost always no scales

FAMILY CHAENOPSIDAE

TUBE BLENNIES, BARNACLE BLENNIES, PIKE BLENNIES, SIGNAL BLENNIES, WORM BLENNIES

Tube-blennies are small fishes (up to ~ 12 cm) characterized by elongate bodies; head often spiny or rough, with cirri on nostrils, eyes, and (sometimes) nape; gill membranes continuous under throat; each jaw with canines or incisors at front; teeth on center and, often, sides of roof of mouth; dorsal fin continuous, with flexible spines, XVII-XXVIII,10-38 rays, usually more spines than rays; dorsal and anal fins with long bases; anal fin with II flexible spines; pelvics I (internal), 2-3, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; no scales (smooth scales in one Stathmonotus species); no lateral line.

Tube blennies are one of the few families that are confined to the tropical and subtropical Americas. The family contains 13 genera and approximately 82 species; 52 species in 10 genera (three endemics) are known from the Greater Caribbean.

PREPARED BY D ROSS ROBERTSON, AFTER WILLIAMS (2002)