Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Blenniidae (Combtooth blennies) > Blenniinae
Etymology: Plagiotremus: Greek, plagios = oblique + Greek, trema = hole (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 40 m (Ref. 1602). Subtropical, preferred ?; 30°N - 30°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea south to Knysna, South Africa (Ref. 4404) and east to the Line, Marquesan and Society islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island. Replaced by Plagiotremus ewaensis in the Hawaiian Islands (Ref. 37816).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 559)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 31-37; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 29 - 33. Adults variable in color, ranging from black to yellow; 2 blue stripes on body (Ref. 4404, 48636).

Adults inhabit clear, coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 1602). They hide in deserted worm tubes or other small holes when alarmed (Ref. 1602, 48636), bite divers occassionally (Ref. 90102). They feed on the skin, mucus and sometimes scales of other fishes by quick attacks. Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114). Juveniles mimic the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus (Ref. 9710). According to Ref. 53299 they are facultative mimics that change their color: at cleaning stations they mimic the cleaner wrasse and attack unsuspecting customers; elsewhere they adopt an alternative color and striping pattern to conceal themselves among fish shoals from which they can strike at passing fish.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Williams, Jeffrey T. | Collaborators

Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p. (Ref. 2334)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos (Bleeker, 1852)