Malacoctenus versicolor, Barfin blenny

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Malacoctenus versicolor (Poey, 1876)

Barfin blenny
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Malacoctenus versicolor   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Malacoctenus versicolor (Barfin blenny)
Malacoctenus versicolor
Picture by Johnson, L.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Blenniiformes (Blennies) > Labrisomidae (Labrisomids)
Etymology: Malacoctenus: Greek, malakos = soft + Greek, kteis, ktenos = comb (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Poey.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 7 m (Ref. 9710). Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: Florida (USA), Bahamas, and Cuba south through the Antillean chain.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5521)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-37; Anal spines: 2. Common amongst Labrisomids: small, often elongate fishes; largest species about 20 cm SL, most under 10 cm SL. Head usually with cirri or fleshy flaps on anterior nostrils, eyes, and laterally on nape; gill membranes continuous with each other across posteroventral surface of head. Each jaw with an outer row of relatively large, canine-like or incisor-like teeth, often with patches of smaller teeth behind; teeth usually also present on vomer and often on palatines (roof of mouth). Dorsal and anal fins long, frequently highest anteriorly; dorsal-fin spines often flexible, outnumbering segmented dorsal-fin soft rays; 2 usually flexible spines in anal fin; pelvic fins inserted anterior to pectoral-fin bases, with 1 spine not visible externally and only 2 or 3 segmented rays; all fin rays, including those of caudal, unbranched (simple). Cycloid (smooth to touch) scales present at least posteriorly on body. Body coloration: varying from drab to brilliant hues; usually with irregular vertical bands, spots, or marbled pattern. Species distinguished by: dorsal fin consisting of spines usually 18 and 7 to 37 segmented rays; pectoral-fin rays usually 14; pelvic-fin soft rays 3 (innermost ray may be reduced in length and folded over middle ray); scales in lateral-line series 40 to 69 (some scales in posterior portion of lateral line may lack sensory tubes, but are included in count); total nasal cirri (both sides) usually more than 7; two or more cirri on each side of nape just anterior to dorsal-fin origin; combination of conspicuous dark spot on anterior dorsal-fin spines and a dark ocellus extending from bases of posterior dorsal-fin spines onto dorsal contour of body not present; no small teeth behind large teeth in outer row; pectoral-fin base scales, when present, smaller than those on body; length of shortest pelvic-fin ray (third ray very difficult to see) contained fewer than 4 times in length of longest ray; maxillary bone sheathed; teeth absent on palatines (Ref.52855).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits shallow sandy and rocky areas of coral reefs (Ref. 9710). Feed on copepods, amphipods, delicate algae and occasionally of eggs of Abudefduf (Ref. 5521).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Williams, Jeffrey T. | Collaborators

Böhlke, J.E. and C.C.G. Chaplin, 1993. Fishes of the Bahamas and adjacent tropical waters. 2nd edition. University of Texas Press, Austin. (Ref. 5521)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 October 2007

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | GoMexSI (interaction data) | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 26.5 - 28.2, mean 27.5 °C (based on 510 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00490 (0.00196 - 0.01224), b=3.09 (2.87 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.1   ±0.35 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 165 [80, 281] mg/100g; Iron = 0.798 [0.444, 1.387] mg/100g; Protein = 18.1 [17.0, 19.2] %; Omega3 = 0.0873 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 18.3 [7.7, 40.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 187 [54, 639] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.53 [1.64, 3.67] mg/100g (wet weight);