| Family: |
Chaenopsidae (Pike-, tube- and flagblennies) |
| Max. size: |
2.2 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 5 - 20 m |
| Distribution: |
Central Caribbean: along the Central American coast from Cozumel (Yucatan, Mexico) south to Belize, Utila, and Roatan to Panama; in the western Caribbean, on the islands of the Corn Islands of Nicaragua and Cayman Islands and across to the northern Antilles (i.e. Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands and Nevis and St. Kitts, stopping before Dominica). Apparently absent from the southern Caribbean east of Panama (i.e. Colombia, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Venezuela, Trinidad, and the Windward (southern) Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada, and Tobago), and to the north, absent from the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and the Bahamas. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-13; Anal spines: 2-2. Species distinguished by: first dorsal-fin spine same length as, or shorter than, subsequent spines; supraorbital cirrus on each eye, arising from a single base, shorter than eye diameter; 10 to 13 segmented dorsal-fin rays; total dorsal-fin elements 30 to 38; pectoral-fin rays 13; head smooth anteriorly, never spiny; tip of lower jaw not projecting beyond tip of upper jaw and without fleshy projection; one row of teeth on each palatine bone; edge of opercle with series of small, round dark spots, or uniformly pigmented; no stripe or series of dark blotches on head and body. Common amongst Chaenopsids: small elongate fishes; largest species about 12 cm SL, most under 5 cm SL. Head usually with cirri or fleshy flaps on anterior nostrils, eyes, and sometimes laterally on nape; gill membranes continuous with each other across posteroventral surface of head. Each jaw with canine-like or incisor-like teeth anteriorly; teeth usually also present on vomer and often on palatines (roof of mouth). Dorsal-fin spines flexible, usually outnumbering the segmented soft rays, spinous and segmented-rayed portions forming a single, continuous fin; 2 flexible spines in anal fin; pelvic fins inserted anterior to position of pectoral fins, with 1 spine not visible externally and only 2 or 3 segmented (soft) rays; all fin rays, including caudal-fin rays, unbranched (simple). Lateral line absent. Scales absent (Ref.52855). |
| Biology: |
Observed to mainly perch on live coral surfaces and terminal phase males in holes, also typically within live coral heads. It has been reported to be widely distributed down to 20 m in Cayman Islands (Ref. 125603). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 18 October 2007 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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