This entry was posted on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 12:36 am and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, History, Information, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy Dr. Jack Randall
Oh, my, isn’t this the cutest fish ever? Growing to a mere 2.8 inches at the most, the little blenny is adorable! There are over 300 species of these small and agile bottom-dwelling fishes.
The ancient Hawaiians called them pâo’o, and were fully aware of their ability to skip from rock to rock, and were discussed extensively in some legends. They also were considered ‘aumâkua, or family god, by some.
Dr. Randall says there is one subspecies from Hawaii and Samoa to Nicobar Islands, and another from Australia. They are also observed in brackish water and very shallow tidepools. It is known by experts that these little ones do not have scales and many have cirri, or small tentacles, on their heads. Most researchers call blennies rockskippers. These fish like to take refuge by backing into holes in the reef. The fangblennies (Plagiotremus) are known to make a quick attack on other fishes to remove skin tissue and mucus, which they do with small incisiform teeth. Fangblennies have also been known to attack divers, but since they are so small they cannot cause any damage. Two species have a pair of curved, enormous canine teeth, which are located at the front of their lower jaw. Researchers tell us that not too many other types of fish eat blennies and they are still quite plentiful. It is always nice to know of any species doing very well.
When they reproduce, they lay demersal eggs and the male is the one who guards. How much cuteness can we stand? Will the snorkeler in Hawaii see a blenny? The chances are really good that an observant snorkeler, or diver, will see and maybe even photograph this cute, under 3 inch fish. Bring your camera, and let’s go. I’m ready when you are!
