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Blennies and other fish under the dock





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Posted by Merry on June 08, 2021 at 20:04:19:

Over the last few dock dives, I've been keeping my eye on a couple pair of bay blennies, Hypsoblennius gentilis. This truly exciting little fish exhibits sexual dimorphism and can even change color to match its surroundings.

One male and female (~4.5 - 5 inches) like to hang out on a vertical dock piling. Shy and flitty little things, it's been a challenge trying to get a decent shot of the female, which appears to be gravid.

Female bay blenny



Male bay blenny - From Milton Love: "The males have a higher profile and a very much longer supraorbital cirrus, that of the female is reduced to a mere stud. Females have a more of less conspicuous metallic black spot on the second dorsal spine, followed by a red streak."


I've found a couple of different males:
Male, approximately 4


This is presumably the same male, seen a few weeks later in the same spot.




This wise-guy thought he'd get a better look turned this way.


Here's a small blenny that we see on the reefs as well, the mussel blenny, Hypsoblennius jenkinsi. Milton Love kindly confirmed the ID.

Fish #1


Fish #3


Fish #3


Fish #2


I've only seen bay gobies, Lepidogobius lepidus, darting across the sand at night.

Night dive


Night dive


Spotted sand bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus


Round stingrays, Urobatis halleri,, appear at the marina in summer.





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