Butterfly Blenny
Encyclopedia
The butterfly blenny, Blennius ocellaris, is a small marine
blenniid fish
of Northern
and Western Europe
, as well as the Mediterranean and Black Sea
s and Morocco
.
It can grow as large as 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length. It is usually found at a depth of 10–400 m (32.8–1,312.3 ) down, especially in areas with a rocky floor.
is discontinuous. The forward part of the dorsal fin
is much higher than the remainder of it.
) and hides the eggs under an abandoned shell; the male guards the eggs.
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
blenniid fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
of Northern
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, as well as the Mediterranean and Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
s and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
It can grow as large as 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length. It is usually found at a depth of 10–400 m (32.8–1,312.3 ) down, especially in areas with a rocky floor.
Description
The butterfly blenny has 11–12 dorsal spines, 14–16 dorsal soft rays, 2 anal spines and 15–16 anal soft rays. It has tentacles on the nasal opening, above the eye and on the nape near the first dorsal fin ray. The lateral lineLateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
is discontinuous. The forward part of the dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is much higher than the remainder of it.
Reproduction
It spawns in late spring (as late as June in the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
) and hides the eggs under an abandoned shell; the male guards the eggs.