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| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes > Family Blennidae |
| Variable
fang-blenny Petroscirtes variabilis Family Blennidae updated Aug 10 Where seen? These small elongated fishes are sometimes encountered on our Southern shores, among seagrasses. One was encountered hidden inside a large snail shell. Features: Up to 15cm long but those seen were 5-7cm long. With an elongated body, a blunt squarish snout. The lower jaw has a pair of long curved fangs. It lacks scales and has a continuous dorsal fin along the body length which it holds up rather handsomely when alarmed. Colours usually a dull olive green with pale markings, some brighter green. It has a yellow underside. There are six large irregular dark blotches along upper side. The males are orange-brown while females are sea-green above and lighter below. What does it eat? According to FishBase, it eats mainly small crustaceans and occasionally nips off scales from other fishes. According to Kuiter, it scrapes algae off broad seagrasses. Blenny babies: It lays adhesive eggs. |
 Cyrene Reef, May 08  Pulau Semakau, Dec 05 |
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Variable fang-blennies on Singapore shores
 Changi, Jul 07 |
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 Tanah Merah, Sep 09 |
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 Tanah Merah, Oct 09 |
 Pulau Hantu, Nov 03 |
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 Guarding eggs laid inside a large shell. Pulau Pawai, Dec 09 |
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more photos of blennies on Singapore shores
Links
References
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New Holland Publishers. 434pp.|
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