ID: Goby or Blenny??

[archman]

Is he related to this guy from Cozumel? Maybe a younger version?

Now THAT looks like a secretary blenny. Big yellow eyeballs, short snout, drab brown head, businesslike demeanor...

 

[diver567]

I think the angle of the photo is decieving. This is the blenny out feeding, right? His mouth is doing that little out thing they do when they're grabbing food. Also, remember this is a photo, so it is one example, just like the Humann books. I am positive this is a secretary blenny.

 

[archman]

This is the blenny out feeding, right? His mouth is doing that little out thing they do when they're grabbing food.

That "out thing" lasts a fraction of a second. It would show up as a blur. And from long experience feeding blennies, I'll tell you that the wild ones don't like to "show off" when someone's staring at them with a camera.

Actually I'm not even sure blennies can evert their jaws like that. I keep half a dozen different species in my teaching lab, and none of them have ever exhibited that action. Their premaxillae may not be flexibly jointed. I should look that up.

Anyways, if you think the yellow-headed guy is a secretary-type, post your reasoning, so I can try to cross-reference it with some other book or fishbase. There is a guy in my building that studies molly miller's... maybe he knows something.

Alcina brought up an interesting point about age, and verona mentioned sexual differentiation. All the "young" gobies and blennies I've reared display the same coloration patterns as when they reach full size... the grandaddies pale a little. As for major color differences between sexes, I've never seen or heard of that either. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but its probably rather unlikely.

 

[verona]

The plot thickens! It isn't totally like the picture in my Humaan. it is more yellow than the one in the book and there is more yellow on its head than the picture in the book. It's difficult when you can't really see much beyond the head in Krusty's photo. Back to the drawing board.

 

[archman]

The plot thickens! It isn't totally like the picture in my Humaan. it is more yellow than the one in the book and there is more yellow on its head than the picture in the book. It's difficult when you can't really see much beyond the head in Krusty's photo. Back to the drawing board.

Trust me, the head can be that yellow, and have "that much" of it. Read the humann description, as well as look at the photo. I've I.D.'d several diamond blennies on Eleuthera with my research students... the yellow head merely catches your eye. After that you eyeball the very distinctive head morphology, and if you're really anal you can get a peek at their elaborate dorsal fin.

The specimen in Humann has the dingiest head I've seen. The one Krusty posted displays the same brightness as the ones I commonly see. I really need to catch one of the suckers and stick it in a tank...

I'm surprised so few people are posting their opinions about the I.D.. This isn't exactly a rare species, and stands out much better than most other Caribbean blennies. It's just about the ONLY one I ever really pay attention to... stupid yellow head.

 

[AmyJ]

not to hijack...

and can't help with ID as I know nothing...

But wondered about the books... I have seen them in stores... are there different ones? new editions?? If I order some, don't want to find out there is a newer version... thanks

 

[archman]

But wondered about the books... I have seen them in stores... are there different ones? new editions?? If I order some, don't want to find out there is a newer version... thanks

I LOVE promoting these books! I keep trying to make all my students purchase a set, but the company I work for shuts me up.

Anyways, you want the 3rd edition fish book, and the 2nd editions for the reef creatures (inverts), and corals. All of these newer editions lack the external spiral binding of the earlier editions, so they're easy to differentiate. Pity, I REALLY LIKED the spiral binding.

 

[verona]

Amy - I just got a set of the books and they are fantastic. I am enjoying the coral one at the moment and realising that a lot of stuff I have seen is not what I thought it was!!!

 

[diver567]

Hey Archman,

I am generally making my statements on my experience on Utila. Secretary blennies are really common on Utila. They are also quite wild sometimes. I often see them coming out of their little holes. I don't really know the behaviour patterns of these guys like you but I would like to learn more. Where can I get more info.

Thanks.

 

[archman]

I am generally making my statements on my experience on Utila.

What I've been keenly awaiting from you and Dee is information about the head colours on these "secretary blennies" you're seeing in Utila. I don't *think* you're using the humann guide to make that sort of I.D.. I'd like to know what reference you are using. It would be quite neat if a "Utila-variant" of the secretary blenny existed... one with a yellow coloured head of course.

I don't really know the behaviour patterns of these guys like you but I would like to learn more. Where can I get more info.

The best resource would be the web nowadays. Punch up GOOGLE searches for your taxon and see what comes up.
Bookwise, Snyderman & Wiseman have a very easy to read book on Caribbean fauna... Guide to Marine Life Caribbean Bahamas Florida is the name of the tome. Plenty of wonderful photos, with photography tips. Not expensive, either.

For general information on fish taxonomy, anatomy, and physiology, you still can't beat a generic ichthyology text.

And I've heard great things about the more advanced REEF I.D. workshops. REEF is based out of Key Largo, and some of their folks are the best Caribbean fishwatchers in the business. They blow the pants off me six ways to Tuesday.