Species: Scartichthys gigas, Giant blenny

black blotch behind eye

Scartichthys gigas (Steindachner, 1876)
Giant blenny
Elongate, robust; head deep, blunt; a cluster of cirri at front nostril; one branched cirrus over eye, 2 irregular clusters of nape cirri; no large canines at rear of lower jaw; gill openings wide, membranes not fused to belly; dorsal fin with shallow notch between spinous and soft parts, XI-XIII, 16-18; anal II, 18-20; pelvic I, 4; lateral line continuous, bends down above origin of anal fin, rear section consisting of 18-22 short, 2-pored tubes.
Brown, body densely covered with small irregular dark red-brown blotches on a pale background, clusters of white dots in a row of pale spots along upper back, several large whitish blotches along belly; snout with small pale spots, cheeks with scattered larger pale spot; a blackish, blotch about size of pupil behind eye; eye cirrus brown with red tip; dorsal brown, base with dark blotches, narrow red margin; tail - rays purplish brown, membranes yellowish; anal - yellow brown inner half, dark brown outer half; pelvic tan; pectoral base brown with whitish blotches, pectoral rays brown. Juveniles with 8-10 irregular bars on body, head pale spotted.
Size: 27 cm.
Habitat: rocky shores.
Depth: 0-10 m.
Panama (strays) to Chile; probably only as a vagrant in our region.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Omnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Benthic microalgae
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- TEP non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily
- Continent only
- Continent
- Peruvian province, primarily
- Residency
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- Vagrant
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 27
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 10