Combtooth blennies are blenniiformids; percomorph marine

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

of the family Blenniidae, part of the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Blenniiformes. They are the largest family of blennies with around 401 known species in 58 genera. Combtooth blennies are found in tropical and subtropical waters in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

and

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

s; some species are also found in

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

and even

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

environments.

Description

The body plan of the combtooth blennies is archetypal to all other blennioids; their blunt heads and eyes are large, with large continuous dorsal fins (which may have three to 17 spines). Their bodies are compressed, elongated, and scaleless; their small, slender pelvic fins (which are absent in only two species) are situated before their enlarged pectoral fins, and their tail fins are rounded. As their name would suggest, combtooth blennies are noted for the comb-like teeth lining their jaws. By far the largest species is the eel-like hairtail blenny at 53 cm in length; most other members of the family are much smaller. Combtooth blennies are active and often highly colourful, making them popular in the

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

hobby.

Habitat and behaviour

Generally

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "the depths". ...

fish, combtooth blennies spend much of their time on or near the bottom. They may inhabit the rocky crevices of

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...

s, burrows in sandy or muddy substrates, or even empty shells. Generally found in shallow waters, some combtooth blennies are capable of leaving the water for short periods during low tide, aided by their large pectoral fins which act as "feet". Small benthic

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s, and other sessile

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

s are the primary food items for most species; others eat

alga Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular microalgae, suc ...

e or

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...

. One exceptional group of combtooth blennies deserves special mention: the so-called sabre-toothed blennies of the genera '' Aspidontus'', '' Meiacanthus'', '' Petroscirtes'', '' Plagiotremus'', and '' Xiphasia''. These blennies have fang-like teeth with

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

glands at their bases. Species of the genera ''Aspidontus'' and ''Plagiotremus'' (such as the false cleanerfish) are noted for their cunning

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

of cleaner

wrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine ray-finned fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into nine subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, ...

s: by imitating the latter's colour, form, and behaviour, the blennies are able to trick other fish (or even divers) into letting down their guard, long enough for the blennies to nip a quick mouthful of skin or scale. Variable Sabretooth Blenny

Some combtooth blennies form small groups, while others are solitary and territorial. They may be either diurnal or

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

, depending on the species. Females lay eggs in shells or under rock ledges; males guard the nest of eggs until hatching. Variable Sabretooth Blenny Brood

In some species, the eggs may remain in the

oviduct The oviduct in vertebrates is the passageway from an ovary. In human females, this is more usually known as the fallopian tube. The eggs travel along the oviduct. These eggs will either be fertilized by spermatozoa to become a zygote, or will dege ...

of the female until hatched. The fry of some species undergo an 'ophioblennius' stage, wherein the fish are

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean and can be further divided into regions by depth. The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or water column between the sur ...

(i.e., inhabiting the midwater) and have greatly enlarged pectoral fins and hooked teeth.

Classification

This family is currently divided into two subfamilies and approximately 58 genera and 397 species. The following genera are classified within the family Blenniidae:Smith-Vaniz, W.F. & Rose, J.M. (2012): Adelotremus leptus, a new genus and species of sabertooth blenny from the Red Sea (Teleostei: Blenniidae: Nemophini). ''Zootaxa,3249: 39–46.'' * Subfamily

Salarinae Salarinae is one of two subfamilies in the combtooth blenny family Blenniidae, it is the largest of the two subfamilies in the Blennidae with 43 genera. The species in this subfamily are mainly marine, with a few species which are found in fres ...

Gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...

, 1859 ** '' Aidablennius'' Whitley, 1947 ** '' Alloblennius'' Smith-Vaniz &

Springer Springer or springers may refer to: Publishers * Springer Science+Business Media, aka Springer International Publishing, a worldwide publishing group founded in 1842 in Germany formerly known as Springer-Verlag. ** Springer Nature, a multinationa ...

, 1971 ** ''

Alticus ''Alticus'' is a genus of Combtooth blenny, combtooth blennies found in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, Indian oceans. It is one of 57 genera in the family Blenniidae. Species There are currently ten recognized species in this genus: * ''Alticus a ...

'' Lacepède, 1800 ** ''

Andamia ''Andamia'' is a genus of Combtooth blenny, combtooth blennies found in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Species There are currently seven recognized species in this genus: * ''Andamia amphibius'' (Johann Julius Walbaum, Walbaum, 17 ...

'' Blyth, 1858 ** '' Antennablennius'' Fowler, 1931 ** '' Atrosalarias'' Whitley 1933 ** '' Bathyblennius''

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, 1977 ** '' Blenniella'' Reid, 1943 ** '' Chalaroderma'' Norman, 1944 ** '' Chasmodes''

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1836 ** ''

Cirripectes ''Cirripectes'' is a large genus of combtooth blennies found throughout the Pacific and Indian Ocean, Indian oceans. ''Cirripectes biconvexus'', an otolith based fossil species from the Burdigalian (Miocene) of southwestern India (Quilon Formatio ...

'' Swainson, 1839 ** '' Cirrisalarias'' Springer, 1976 ** '' Coryphoblennius'' Norman, 1944 ** '' Crossosalarias'' Smith-Vaniz & Springer, 1971 ** '' Dodekablennos'' Springer & Spreitzer, 1978 ** '' Ecsenius'' McCulloch, 1923 ** '' Entomacrodus'' Gill, 1859 ** '' Exallias''

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

& Evermann, 1905 ** '' Glyptoparus'' J.L.B. Smith, 1959 ** '' Hirculops'' J.L.B. Smith, 1959 ** '' Hypleurochilus'' Gill, 1861 ** '' Hypsoblennius'' Gill, 1861 ** '' Istiblennius'' Whitley, 1943 ** '' Lipophrys'' Gill, 1896 ** '' Litobranchus'' Smith-Vaniz & Springer, 1971 ** '' Lupinoblennius'' Herre, 1942 ** '' Medusablennius'' Springer, 1966 ** '' Microlipophrys''

Almada Almada () is a city and a municipality in Portugal, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River, on the opposite side of the river from Lisbon. The two cities are connected by the 25 de Abril Bridge. The population of the municipality in 20 ...

, Guillemaud & Wirtz, 2005 ** '' Mimoblennius'' Smith-Vaniz & Springer, 1971 ** '' Nannosalarias'' Smith-Vaniz & Springer, 1971 ** '' Ophioblennius'' Gill, 1860 ** '' Parablennius'' Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 ** '' Parahypsos'' Bath, 1982 ** '' Paralticus'' Springer & Williams, 1994 ** '' Pereulixia'' J.L.B. Smith, 1959 ** '' Praealticus'' Schultz & Chapman, 1960 ** '' Rhabdoblennius'' Whitley, 1930 ** '' Salaria'' Forsskål, 1775 ** '' Salarias'' Cuvier, 1816 ** '' Scartella'' Jordan, 1886 ** '' Scartichthys'' Jordan & Evermann, 1898 ** '' Stanulus'' J.L.B. Smith, 1959 * Subfamily Blenniinae Rafinesque, 1810 ** '' Adelotremus'' Smith-Vaniz &

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

, 2012 ** '' Aspidontus'' Cuvier, 1834 ** '' Blennius''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

, 1758 ** '' Enchelyurus'' Peters, 1868 ** '' Haptogenys'' Springer, 1972 ** '' Laiphognathus'' J.L.B. Smith, 1955 ** '' Meiacanthus'' Norman, 1944 ** ''

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

'' Springer, 1985 ** '' Omobranchus'' Valenciennes, 1836 ** '' Omox'' Springer, 1972 ** '' Parenchelyurus'' Springer, 1972 ** '' Petroscirtes Rüppell, 1830 ** '' Phenablennius'' Springer & Smith-Vaniz, 1972 ** '' Plagiotremus'' Gill, 1865 ** '' Spaniblennius'' Bath & Wirtz, 1989 ** '' Xiphasia'' Swainson. 1839

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1000px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:10px bottom:50px top:10px right:10px Period = from:-65.5 till:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:-65.5 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:-65.5 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify Colors = #legends id:CAR value:claret id:ANK value:rgb(0.4,0.3,0.196) id:HER value:teal id:HAD value:green id:OMN value:blue id:black value:black id:white value:white id:cenozoic value:rgb(0.54,0.54,0.258) id:paleogene value:rgb(0.99,0.6,0.32) id:paleocene value:rgb(0.99,0.65,0.37) id:eocene value:rgb(0.99,0.71,0.42) id:oligocene value:rgb(0.99,0.75,0.48) id:neogene value:rgb(0.999999,0.9,0.1) id:miocene value:rgb(0.999999,0.999999,0) id:pliocene value:rgb(0.97,0.98,0.68) id:quaternary value:rgb(0.98,0.98,0.5) id:pleistocene value:rgb(0.999999,0.95,0.68) id:holocene value:rgb(0.999,0.95,0.88) BarData= bar:eratop bar:space bar:periodtop bar:space bar:NAM1 bar:NAM2 bar:space bar:period bar:space bar:era PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4) bar:periodtop from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:

Paleocene The Paleocene ( ), or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), ...

from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text: Plio. from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text: Pleist. from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text: H. bar:eratop from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:

Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...

from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:

Neogene The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of th ...

from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text: Q. PlotData= align:left fontsize:M mark:(line,white) width:5 anchor:till align:left color:eocene bar:NAM1 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Exallias color:miocene bar:NAM2 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Blennius PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 bar:period from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:

from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:

from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:

from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:

from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text: Plio. from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text: Pleist. from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text: H. bar:era from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:

from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:

from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text: Q.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q656955 Blenniiformes Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Articles which contain graphical timelines

Description

Habitat and behaviour

Classification

Timeline

See also

References