Species: Malacoctenus hubbsi, Redside Blenny

Malacoctenus hubbsi Springer, 1959

Redside Blenny

Head slender, snout pointed; nape with a close-set pair of heavily branched cirri; a branched cirrus over eye; upper part of rear end of top jaw covered by bone under eye; no small teeth behind outer row of large teeth on upper jaw; no teeth on sides of roof of mouth; 1-3 (1-6) pores on underside of head between front ends of gill covers; gill rakers 11-12 (10-14); dorsal fin XX, 11, (XIX-XXI, 9-13), notch between spines and rays; anal II, 19-21 (18-23), very rarely 18; pectoral 14 (13-15); 3 pelvic soft rays; 54-56 (51-61) lateral line scales; scales absent on midline in front of dorsal fin; scales absent or present on prepectoral and breast areas of adults; scales on belly smaller than those on flanks.

Males light greenish on upper half, reddish or pink n lower half, 5-6 irregular-shaped dark brown bars on side and narrow stripes below; females similar except lacking reddish or pink hue on belly, and with spotted dorsal and tail fins (spotting absent or reduced in male); both sexes with underside of head usually barred, occasionally spotted; almost always a small dark spot in front of each pelvic fin base.

Size: grows to 9 cm.

Habitat: the most common blenny in rocky shallows of the Gulf of California.

Depth: 1-7.6 m.

The NE and W Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of Baja.