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Great Barrier Reef blenny (Ecsenius stictus) — Blenniidae

Great Barrier Reef blenny

Ecsenius stictus
Family: Blenniidae

The Great Barrier Reef blenny (Ecsenius stictus) is a saltwater fish of the family Blenniidae that grows up to 6 cm.

Length
5.8 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–20.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Great Barrier Reef blenny is a small, scaleless blenny (Blenniidae) from the western Pacific, around the Great Barrier Reef. The species grows to about 6 cm and has a slender body with fine dotted lines and a blunt head with comb teeth with which it rasps algae and growth. As a bottom-dweller it shelters in empty worm tubes and crevices of coral reefs, with only the head showing. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Great Barrier Reef blenny?

The Great Barrier Reef blenny has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Great Barrier Reef blenny live?

The Great Barrier Reef blenny lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Great Barrier Reef blenny get?

The Great Barrier Reef blenny grows to a maximum of about 6 cm.

Is the Great Barrier Reef blenny dangerous to humans?

No, the Great Barrier Reef blenny is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Stippel-tandslijmvis sourced
English name
Great Barrier Reef blenny sourced
Scientific name
Ecsenius stictus
Family
Blenniidae
Other names
Japanese coral blenny; Small-spotted comb-tooth; Smallspotted combtooth blenny verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
5.8 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore inferred
Territorial
Yes inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Ecsenius

More from the family Blenniidae

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