THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

178 A Docent Field Guide to the Species of the Steinhart Aquarium
the fang blenny will bite the inside of a predator’s
mouth and is quickly spit out. Humans are rarely
bitten as the blenny’s mouth is small. The bite is
said to resemble a wasp sting.
Several non-venomous species have evolved
to mimic and be protected by their semblance
to the venomous model. The dandy blenny
(Petroscirtes breviceps) is thought to be a mimic
of the striped poison-fang blenny.
Unlike most blennies, which typically lack swim
bladders and are bottom-dwellers, Meiacanthus
spp. have functional swim bladders and
frequently hover in mid-water. The large tail gives
the fish bursts of speed, causing one observer to
call them “aquatic hummingbirds.”
Canary Blenny
Meiacanthus oualanensis (Blenniidae)
Combtooth Blennies
Distribution: Western Pacific; native to Fiji.
Habitat: Reefs.
Appearance: Uniformly rich, solid yellow
body with a long, continuous trailing lyretail
composed mostly of soft rays. Males are
generally larger than females and undergo a
succession of color changes during breeding.
Diet: Plankton.
Reproduction and Development: Demersal
(on or near the bottom) spawner.
Remarks: Five genera with about 50 species
are known as “sabre-toothed” blennies because
of the distinctive canine-like tooth on each
side of the lower jaw. (The rest are “combtoothed”
- see blenny species above). The genus
Meiacanthus is notable having venom that can
be injected through grooves in these fangs.
Fortunately for other fish, the bite is mostly
defensive, but aquarists should be cautious.
The bite is painful.
The conspicuous color is believed to advertise
venomous fangs to predators, an example of
aposematism.
The golden mimic blenny, Plagiotremus
laudandus flavus, gains protection from
predators by being a canary blenny lookalike.
Jeweled Blenny aka Eyelash Blenny aka
Lawnmower Blenny
Salarias fasciatus (Blenniidae)
Combtooth Blennies
Distribution: Tropical Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Intertidal to a few meters in depth on
reef flats and in shallow lagoons and estuaries.
Appearance: Body a mottled tan with blue
dots; up to about 12 cm.
Diet: Algae eaters; tend to be territorial about
feeding areas.
Reproduction and Development: Oviparous;
form pairs and guard nests.
Remarks: Tends to hop from rock to rock
looking for food. Its nickname “Lawnmower
Blenny” comes from its prodigious and efficient
algal consumption using comb-like teeth
that line the jaws.
Also noted for the filamentous skin projections
on the head that give it a look of having long
(if not too glamorous) eyelashes.
SUBORDER CALLIONYMOIDEI
(DRAGONETS)
Spotted Dragonet aka Psychedelic
Mandarinfish
Synchiropus picturatus (Callionymidae)
Dragonets
Distribution: NW Australia, Indonesia,
Philippines.
Habitat: Over rubble patches and sandy
bottoms of shallow, sheltered coral reefs 2–10
m. Hides secretively in coral rubble.
Appearance: Elongate, moderately depressed,
broad-headed. Pale brown to green, covered
with large dark spots ringed with orange and
green, turquoise band markings around eye.
Length to 7 cm.
Diet: Benthic invertebrates.
Reproduction and Development: In captivity
frequently fight with opposite sex conspecifics.
Remarks: Spectacularly attractive, thus
potentially a popular aquarium fish. That said,
it is very difficult to maintain in captivity and
has one of the highest mortality rates in the
aquarium trade, though Steinhart specimens
have done well.
Green Mandarinfish
Synchiropus splendidus (Callionymidae)
Dragonets
Distribution: Western Pacific.
Habitat: Shallow protected lagoons and inshore
reefs to 18 m. Over silty substrates with