Acanthemblemaria stephensi
Malpelo barnacle blenny
Acanthemblemaria stephensi, Malpelo Island, Colombia, Photo: Graham Edgar
Distribution
Localised
Description
Grey head with red lips, red cirri between eyes and a covering of fine blue spots. Body with a series of red bands and dorsal fin red with a black spot at start. Inhabits empty mollusc and worm holes in the reef, with just it\'s head protruding. Known only from Malpelo Island.
Information
Max Size: 5 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 26.3-27.5°C
Depth: 1-10m
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: Common (27.3% 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 (9 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields