Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

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Species: Malacoctenus tetranemus, Speckled blenny, Throat-spotted blenny

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

just behind eye - black spot
lower head & body: many dark spots
A 18-20
LL 53-61
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.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • Benthic
  • No data
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • All species
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • 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)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 7.5
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 25