Colours
Distinguishing features
A small dark grey fish with numerous fine red dots over the body and head. Found resting on the top of branching coral heads.
Size
- Up to 14 cm (Standard length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Tops of braching corals on reef crests exposed to wave actionlagoonal patch reefs in shallow water. Wilson (2001) found this species closely associated with live corymbose branching corals at Lizard Island.
Found in exposed reef habitats around the island subject to heavy wave action.
Behaviour
The Redstreaked Blenny is solitary or found in loose groups and lives amongst live branching corals on top of reef crests and flats exposed to have action. They rest on the pectoral fins in between bouts of feeding. These fishes are mainly detritivores, combing small particles of organic material from the turf algae found inside the damselfish territories common on the reef flats favoured by the blenny.
Web resources
References
- Depczynski, M. and D.R. Bellwood (2005). Wave energy and spatial variability in community structure of small cryptic coral reef fishes, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 303: 283-293. LIRS catalog number 932.
- Townsend, K.A. and I.R. Tibbetts (2000). Biomass and distribution of herbivorous blennies in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Journal of Fish Biology, 56: 774-791. LIRS catalog number 90023.
- Wilson, S.K. (2000). Trophic status and feeding selectivity of blennies (Blenniidae: Salariini), Marine Biology, 136: 431-437. LIRS catalog number 690.
- View all references