Species: Emblemaria nivipes, White-back signal-blenny
eye cirrus - several branches
Emblemaria nivipes Jordan & Gilbert, 1883
White-back signal-blenny
Body elongate; head short and blunt; head without spines; 2 smooth longitudinal ridges on snout; cirrus above eye often with filamentous branches, but may also be simple, or with tiny end branches; 1 row of teeth on each side of roof of mouth; dorsal fin XXII, 13-14, male with large, sail-like front of dorsal fin, 1st spine without skin flaps at front; 1st dorsal spine elevated in female, about twice length of 2nd; anal rays II, 23-24; pectoral rays 14-15; pelvic fin longer than pectoral.
Males dark brown with pronounced white back; back with numerous small brown spots; a row of white spots and streaks along the flank; dorsal fin with oblique blue lines and blue and white spots; females overall whitish; upper body and head with numerous small brown spots; a midlateral row of rectangular orange-centered brown blotches; head and belly with orange bars and spots; dorsal fin with a large, orange-ringed ocellus near front.
Size: grows to 4.2 cm.
Inhabits empty mollusc tubes on sand-rubble bottoms.
Depth: 5-30 m.
Isla del Coco and Panama to Colombia.
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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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Barnacles & worm tubes
- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- No Data
- Planktivore
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Zooplankton
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- TEP endemic
- All species
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 4.2
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 30
