Red-streaked Blenny is known by the scientific name Cirripectes stigmaticus. It’s a type of comb-tooth blenny found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Sometimes, it’s sold in the aquarium trade.
Red-streaked blenny usually lives alone or in small groups near the top of seaward reef slopes, less than 33 feet deep but is found up to 66 feet deep.
This fish lives in coastal reef flats with lots of coral and algae, as well as on rocky and coralline structures.
Red-streaked blenny is also often found among Acropora and Pocillopora corals in surf-swept algal ridges. These fish are not safe for coral reefs.
You can check out what this fish looks like over here.
Red-streaked Blenny Interesting Facts
- Red-streaked blennies are comb-tooth fish found in the Indo-Pacific region, living in coastal reef flats with coral and algae.
- They grow up to 5.1 inches (13.0 centimeters) long, have unique head features like cirri around their eyes and nose, and lack scales or scale-like flaps.
- These fish lay sticky eggs on surfaces; their larvae float freely before maturing into adults.
- During breeding, parents form distinct pairs, with males having reproductive openings near a fleshy bump behind their anus.
Red-streaked Blenny Habitat
Red-streaked blenny is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Its habitat ranges from Kenya to Mozambique and across the Indian Ocean to the Marshall and Samoan islands.
This fish lives in marine environments, specifically associated with coral reefs.
It can typically be found at depths of 0 to 20 meters (0 to 66 feet), but most commonly between 0 to 10 meters (0 to 33 feet).
Red-streaked blenny thrives in tropical waters between latitudes of 15°N to 30°S.
| Water Temperature: | Unknown |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Red-streaked Blenny Physical Characteristics
Size: 5.1 inches (13.0 centimeters)
Red-streaked blenny grows up to 3.9 inches (10.0 centimeters) long and has various fin features like 11 to 13 dorsal spines, 14 to 16 dorsal soft rays, 2 anal spines, and 15 to 17 anal soft rays.
This fish’s body is covered with dark brown patterns that turn into scarlet spots and wavy lines towards the back.
Its eye has a yellow-ringed pupil. Some male red-streaked blenny from Gilbert Island has darker bodies, brown fins, and more yellow in their eyes.
These fish have unique head features such as multiple cirri (small hair-like structures) around their eyes and nose.
They also have a simple pore system on their heads without extra pores between their eyes but do have one behind each side of their necks.
These fish don’t have scales or scale-like flaps along their lateral line (a row of sensory organs along a fish’s side).
The lateral line usually has tubes for some parts of it but ends below the seventh dorsal ray towards the tail fin.
Red-streaked Blenny Reproduction
Red-streaked blenny reproduces by laying eggs, and the parents form distinct pairs during breeding.
The male’s reproductive opening is found at the base of two thin filaments near a fleshy bump behind its anus.
The male’s testes are round and have equal length and width. The female red-streaked blenny lay eggs that stick to surfaces through a filamentous pad.
Their larvae float freely in shallow coastal waters before growing into adults.
Red-streaked Blenny Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Blenniidae |
| Genus: | Cirripectes |
| Scientific Name: | Cirripectes stigmaticus |
| Also Known As: | Red-streaked Blenny |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |