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Species: Emblemaria hypacanthus, Gulf signal-blenny

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snout: 2 smooth ridges
male: black + red eye & cirri; D black & blue, 1 small flap on 1st spine
female: D spines low & even; rows brown blotches on flank & A base
A 21-24

Emblemaria hypacanthus (Jenkins & Evermann, 1889)

Gulf signal-blenny

Body elongate; head short and blunt; head without spines; 2 smooth longitudinal ridges on snout; bony flange below eye not expanded and not overlapping upper lip in males; 1 unbranched cirrus over eye that is often longer than eye; 1 row of teeth on each side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XX-XXII, 13-16, male with large, sail-like front of dorsal fin, with 1 small, flag-like flap on anterior edge of base of first dorsal spine, near base, often with deep notches between front spines; front of dorsal fin low or with first 1 or 2 spines very slightly elevated in female; anal rays II, 21-24; pectoral rays 13; pelvic fin longer than pectoral.

Males usually black to dark brown or tan with dark brown bars or blotches along middle of side, cirri above eyes red with black tip; females with highly variegated pattern, usually rows of brown spots along middle of side and base of anal fin, and brown saddle-like marks below base of dorsal fin.

Size: to 5 cm.

Inhabits empty mollusc tubes on sand-rubble bottoms.

Depth: 1-10 m.

Gulf of California.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom only
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Barnacles & worm tubes
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Data
Egg Type
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
  • Benthic
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • All species
  • Cortez province endemic
  • TEP endemic
  • Continental TEP endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 5
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 10