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Red-streaked blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) — Blenniidae

Red-streaked blenny

Cirripectes stigmaticus
Family: Blenniidae

The Red-streaked blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) is a saltwater fish of the family Blenniidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
10 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–20.0 m
Diet
Herbivore
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Oceania: American Samoa, Australia, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Christmas I., Comoros and others

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Description

The red-streaked blenny is a small, scaleless blenny (Blenniidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 10 cm and has a stocky, dark body with fine reddish streaks on the head and a row of fringe-like appendages (cirri) on the nape. As a bottom-dweller it lives on shallow coral and rocky reefs and rasps algae and growth from the stones with comb teeth. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Red-streaked blenny?

The Red-streaked blenny has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Red-streaked blenny live?

The Red-streaked blenny lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Oceania: American Samoa, Australia, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Christmas I., Comoros and others

How big does the Red-streaked blenny get?

The Red-streaked blenny grows to a maximum of about 10 cm.

Is the Red-streaked blenny dangerous to humans?

No, the Red-streaked blenny is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

More photos

Red-streaked blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) — Blenniidae — 2
Jens Sommer-Knudsen (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Red-streaked blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) — Blenniidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Mark Rosenstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Red-streaked blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) — Blenniidae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — Elisabeth Morcel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Red-streaked blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) — Blenniidae — 5
Wikimedia Commons — Rickard Zerpe (CC BY 2.0)
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All data

Identification

English name
Red-streaked blenny sourced
Scientific name
Cirripectes stigmaticus
Family
Blenniidae
Other names
Redstreaked blenny; Red-streaked blenny; Red-streaked eye-lash blenny; Reticulated blenny verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Natural range
Oceania: American Samoa, Australia, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Christmas I., Comoros and others sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Algae, seaweeds and plant material inferred
Territorial
Yes inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Cirripectes

Filamentous blenny (Cirripectes filamentosus) — Blenniidae
Filamentous blenny
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Blenniidae
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 Chestnut blenny (Cirripectes castaneus) — Blenniidae
Chestnut blenny
Cirripectes castaneus
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 Hawaiian blenny (Cirripectes viriosus) — Blenniidae
Hawaiian blenny
Cirripectes viriosus
Blenniidae

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Fin

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