Blenny
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blennies | |||||||||||
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| a typical blenny | |||||||||||
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Blenny (Ecsenius axelrodi) from East Timor
A blenny is a member of a large suborder of teleost fish called the Blennioidei. The suborder has about 833 species in 130 genera.
Blennies are generally small fish. They have long bodies (some almost eel-like), and relatively large eyes and mouths. Their dorsal fins are continuous and long. The pelvic fins have a single embedded spine, and are short and slender. The tail fin is rounded.
The blunt heads of blennies often have whisker-like structures called cirri. As generally benthic fish, blennioids spend much of their time on or near the sea floor.
They are quite similar in form to some gobies.