Species: Malacoctenus mexicanus, Mexican Blenny

Malacoctenus mexicanus Springer, 1959

Mexican Margarita Blenny, Mexican Blenny

Head slender, snout pointed; nape with a pair of heavily branched cirri, a branched cirrus over eye; 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 in most species; no teeth on sides of roof of mouth; 1 (1-4) pores on underside of head between front ends of gill covers; gill rakers 10-12; dorsal fin XXI (XX-XXII), 11 (10-12), notch between spines and rays of dorsal fin; pectoral 15 (14-16), rarely 14; anal fin II, 21 (20-22); 3 pelvic soft rays, length of shortest ray usually > 44.4% of longest ray; lateral line tubes or canals at least on front of body; scales present on midline of nape, before pectorals and on breast; 51-56 lateral line scales; scales on belly same size as scales on side of body; scales between front part of lateral line and upper body profile 4 (4-5).

Female: whitish with numerous irregular yellow-brown to grey-brown blotches on sides, belly white; a large pale-edged brown spot covering most of operculum; nuptial males dark greenish to grey, with several diffuse dark bars and 3 black spots on rear back.

Size: reaches 6.5 cm.

Habitat: rocky and rubble bottoms.

Depth: 1-21 m.

The central Gulf of California to southern Mexico.