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Species: Acanthemblemaria macrospilus, Mexican barnacle-blenny

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head: short spines + 2 ridges
eye cirrus simple
front D red + black spot; side lower jaw orange/red
body: 2 rows dark blotches + blue dots

Acanthemblemaria macrospilus Brock, 1940

Mexican barnacle-blenny

Body elongate; long blunt head; head spines short, pointed, in a diamond shaped patch after and between eyes; forehead with 2 ridges; cirri on nostrils, over eyes (1 pair, unbranched), but not on nape; 2 rows of well-developed teeth on side of roof of mouth; dorsal XXIV (XXIII-XXV), 13 (12-14); anal II, 25 (23-26); pectoral 12-13.

Head grey brown, densely covered with pale blue dots; iris red above, black below, with a thin cream inner ring;  black blotches under eye, at rear of cheek and near rear of operculum; black under head; lower jaw with central part red, front part creamy white; body brown or tan with midlateral row of large brown spots or blotches and dark brown saddle-like markings along base of dorsal fin; dorsal fin red at the front, usually with a rounded black spot covering the bases of the 1st two spines.

Maximum size, 6 cm.

Inhabits empty barnacles and worm or mollusc tubes on rocky reefs.

Depth: 1-15 m.

Mazatlan,in the south east Gulf of California, and the Tres Marias Islands, to the Gulf of Tehuantepec.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Barnacles & worm tubes
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Planktivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Pelagic fish eggs
  • Zooplankton
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
Regional Endemism
  • TEP endemic
  • Mexican province endemic
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Continental TEP endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 6
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 15