Ecsenius stictus

Smallspotted Combtooth Blenny | Great Barrier Reef Blenny
Ecsenius stictus
Ecsenius stictus, Northern Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Photo: Andrew Green
Ecsenius stictus
Ecsenius stictus, Cairns, QLD, Photo: Andrew Green
Ecsenius stictus
Ecsenius stictus, Cairns, QLD, Photo: Joe Shields
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Ecsenius stictus
Ecsenius stictus
Ecsenius stictus

Distribution

Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Semi-translucent grey body, pale orange eyes, black ‘chinstrap’, dark V-shaped mark on pectoral fin base, faint spots and dashes in rows along body, and fine black spots scattered on rear half of body. Also has a darker colour form with a more heavily patterned body, black spots on rear of body are still present though. Similar E. yaeyamensis (Palespotted Combtooth Blenny) has larger white spots instead of fine black and has more distinct black dashes behind eye. Only found on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea.


Information

Max Size: 6 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 23.6-30.4°C

Depth: 1-20m

Habitat Generalization Index: 14.63

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Common (32.9% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Several (5 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: Joe Shields