Acanthemblemaria castroi
Galapagos barnacle blenny
Acanthemblemaria castroi, Galapagos, Ecuador, Photo: Graham Edgar
Distribution
Localised
Description
Scattering of blue spots on upper head, and yellow spots on lower head and jaw. Four small cirri on front of head between eyes, with yellow bases. Body brown with a row of diamond shaped white markings along upper sides, and a row of round spots along lower sides. Inhabits empty mollusc and worm holes in the reef, where it sits with only its head poking out.
Information
Max Size: 6 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 20.8-26.3°C
Depth: 1-23m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
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: Vulnerable
Occurrence: Widespread (50% 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: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields