Family: CHAENOPSIDAE, Tube blenny, Tube-Blennies, Signal-Blennies, Barnacle-Blennies, Pike-Blennies, Worm-Blennies
head often rough
D & A bases long
almost always no scales
FAMILY CHAENOPSIDAE
TUBE-BLENNIES, SIGNAL-BLENNIES, BARNACLE-BLENNIES, PIKE-BLENNIES, WORM-BLENNIES, TUBE-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)
