Group 9 - BLENNIES AND GOBIES

Small and often inconspicuous, the blennies and gobies are the smallest fishes (two inches or less) at Gray's Reef. Blennies generally sit on their filamentous pelvic fins on the encrusted rocky surfaces of the reef. Gobies generally sit on their cone-like fused pelvic fins in sandy areas or hover above sand-covered rocky areas. Some gobies and blennies live deep in rocky crevices and are rarely seen.

Family Bleniidae (combtooth blennies)

CRESTED BLENNY Hypleurochilus geminatus

Color uniformly brownish to tan with cream, gold and black spots forming dark bars along the body; orbital cirri (longer in males than females); groove between elevated bony ridges above the eyes. One of the most common blennies at Gray's Reef, it usually sits alertly on its pelvic and pectoral fins among the sponges, sea squirts and gorgonians of the reef, darting quickly to a new spot if threatened. North Carolina to Gulf of Mexico. 3 in.


SEAWEED BLENNY Parablennius marmoreus

Head rounded, color light with dark blotches resembling stripes of bars, orbital cirri and dorsal fin stripe greenish. Nearly as abundant as the crested blenny (Hypleurochilus geminatus) at Gray's Reef, they usually sit motionless on the reef or dart for cover in the profuse growth if threatened. New York to Venezuela. 3 in.

Family Clinidae (scaled blennies)

CHECKERED BLENNY Starksia ocellata

Color brownish with darker irregular blotches arranged in rows giving it a checkered appearance; distinct gold-orange spots with contrasting brown margins highlight the head, cheeks and pectoral fin base. An extremely secretive crevice dweller, it is rarely observed but quite common at Gray's Reef. North Carolina to Gulf of Mexico. 2 in.

Family Gobiidae (gobies)

SPOTTED GOBY Coryphopterus punctipectophorus

Body very small; color light, almost translucent; two rows of reddish and yellow blotches on the sides of the body; light blue iridescent oblique stripe below the eye on the cheek; prominent dark reddish brown spot on the lower half of the pectoral fin base. The similar colon goby (C. dicrus) which also occurs here, has two small spots, one above the other, on the base of the pectoral fin. Both species normally rest on fused pelvic fins (characteristic of most gobies) in the sand near reef rubble and crevices. North Carolina to Florida. 2 in.


CONVICT GOBY Lythrypnus phorellus

Body very small, a series of dark and pale bars along the body with dark center lines in the pale bars, two spots at the base of the pectoral fin. The similar spotwing goby (L. spilus) has a single dark spot at the pectoral fin base, dark centerlines in the dark bands, and elongate first two dorsal spines. Scales on the body, fused pelvic fins, six or fewer dorsal spines, and the lack of pores on the head characterize this genus which includes some of the smallest fishes in the world (less than one inch). Both species are found at Gray's Reef. North Carolina to Venezuela. 0.4 in.


SEMINOLE GOBY Microgobius carri

Pelvic fins fused; seven dorsal spines; mouth large, oblique; orange-yellow midlateral stripe continuing onto caudal fin with iridescent blue stripes above and below it. Often seen hovering in pairs just above flat reef areas that are partially covered with coarse sand, they dive head first into their inconspicuous burrow hole if threatened. Pairs usually mate within the burrow and attach the eggs under a shell roofing the burrow hole. Another hovering type goby (Ioglossus sp.) also occurs at Gray's Reef and further offshore. North Carolina, Gulf of Mexico to Lesser Antilles. 2 in.


HIGHSPINE GOBY Pslotris celsus

First two dorsal spines elevated, color dusky, five to seven bars or saddles, black spot at the anterior base of the dorsal fin. Completely separate pelvic fins, lack of pores on the head and no scales on the body distinguishes this genus. Georgia to Bahamas, and Virgin Islands. 2 in.