©Anne: Ecsenius stictus is abundant in the Lizard Island lagoon. Note the dark "chinstrap" and indistinct Y marking at base of the pectoral fin.
Colours
Distinguishing features
A small off-white to pale brown fish with a series of faint spots and darked blotches along the flanks. A dark margin to the lower gill cover and a dark "y" on the pectoral fin base. Found resting on the top of coral heads.
Size
- Up to 6 cm (Standard length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Tops of massive Porites coral heads in shallow water.
Found in most reef habitats around the island not exposed to heavy wave action.
Behaviour
The Smallspotted Combtooth Blenny lives in small family groups on top of prominant coral heads and bommies. They rest on the pectoral fins in between bouts of feeding and chasing each other around the territory. These fishes are mainly detritivores, combing small particles of organic material from the turf algae found inside the damselfish territories of Ward's Damsel and the Dusky Gregory, which typically farm algae on the tops of the bommies favoured by the blenny.
Web resources
References
- Caley, M.J. (1995). Community dynamics of tropical reef fishes: local patterns between latitudes, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 129: 7-18. LIRS catalog number 447.
- Depczynski, M. (2006). Small cryptic fishes on coral reefs: a new perspective on reef fish ecology and life histories, Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 1070.
- 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.
- View all references