Acanthemblemaria maria
Acanthemblemaria maria | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Blenniiformes |
Family: | Chaenopsidae |
Genus: | Acanthemblemaria |
Species: | A. maria
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Binomial name | |
Acanthemblemaria maria J. E. Böhlke, 1961[2]
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Acanthemblemaria maria, the secretary blenny,[1] is a species of chaenopsid blenny found in shallow seas in the western central Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It can reach a maximum length of 5 cm (2.0 in) TL.[3]
Description
Acanthemblemaria maria is a slender, elongated fish with a maximum total length of 5 cm (2 in) but a more normal length is 3 cm (1.2 in). The long, continuous dorsal fin has 29 to 40 rays, the flexible spines usually being more numerous than the soft rays. This fish is very variable in colouring; it has whitish vertical stripes or patches on a usually brown background, and an irregular speckling of tiny spots. The large eyes are surrounded by yellowish-green orbital rings and the cheeks often bear a spot of blue or brown above a white band. Over the eyes are spines and tufts of branching, supraorbital cirri.[3][4]
Distribution and habitat
Acanthemblemaria maria occurs in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean. Its range includes the Bahamas, and in the Caribbean Sea it extends from Grand Cayman in Hispaniola to Trinidad and Tobago, as well as from Belize to Panama. It has been reported from Curaçao, but that is probably a case of mistaken identity.[1] It is absent from the Gulf of Mexico and from the coasts of Florida and Brazil.[4] Its depth range is down to about 20 m (66 ft) and it tends not to be found on patch reefs, preferring limestone slopes.[1]
Ecology
Acanthemblemaria maria lives in a burrow, a hollow in the rock, a crevice, a hole in a colonial
Status
This is a common species with a wide distribution. No particular threats have been identified and there are no special conservation measures in place. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the fish's conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
Etymology
The
References
- ^ . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Bailly, Nicolas (2018). "Acanthemblemaria maria Böhlke, 1961". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Acanthemblemaria maria" in FishBase. February 2013 version.
- ^ a b c d "Blennie-secrétaire: Acanthemblemaria maria Böhlke, 1961" (in French). DORIS. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf; Kenneth J. Lazara (10 November 2018). "Order BLENNIIFORMES: Families CLINIDAE, LABRISOMIDAE and CHAENOPSIDAE". ETYFish Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 10 April 2019.