Species: Malacoctenus tetranemus, Speckled blenny, Throat-spotted blenny
lower head & body: many dark spots
male: scales on breast
no scales on nape, +/- on pectoral base
Malacoctenus tetranemus (Cope, 1877)
Throat-spotted blenny, Speckled blenny
Head slender, snout pointed; a close-set pair of heavily branched nape cirri, a branched cirrus over eye; 4-8 (3-13) pores behind chin, between bases of operculae; 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; gill rakers 11-13 (11-15); dorsal fin XIX, 11, (XVIII-XX, 9-12), notch between spines and rays; anal II, 19 (18-20); pectoral 14 (13-15); 3 pelvic soft rays; 53-61 lateral line scales; belly scales smaller than flank scales; scales absent on midline in front of dorsal fin, present on breast of males only, and sometimes present on the prepectoral area.
A double row of dark greenish-brown blotches on side; lower half of body with numerous dark spots; lower half of head densely covered with small dark spots; a black pupil sized spot just behind eye.
Maximum length to about 7.5 cm.
Habitat: rocky and rubble bottoms.
Depth: 0-25 m.
Southern Baja and the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic worms
- No Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- All species
- TEP endemic
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 7.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 25
