Florida blenny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florida blenny |
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The Chasmodes saburrae, also known as the Florida blenny, is a small fish. It is a type of combtooth blenny found in the western central Atlantic Ocean. You can spot it along the coast of the United States.
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Description
The Florida blenny is a small fish. It usually grows to about 6 cm (2.4 inches) long. The biggest ones can reach up to 10 cm (4 inches). This fish has a single fin on its back called a dorsal fin. It also has a fin on its underside called an anal fin.
Its body is usually a mottled or speckled brown color. Male and female blennies look a bit different. During the breeding season, males become much more colorful. They get a bright blue spot on their dorsal fin. An orange streak runs back from this spot. Their gills and throat also turn orange. Breeding males also grow larger than females. They develop special spines and skin folds on their anal fin.
Where it Lives and What it Likes
This blenny lives in shallow waters, usually less than 6 meters (about 20 feet) deep. You can find it in the southeastern United States. Its home stretches from New Smyrna Beach, Florida all the way to the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana. This includes places like the Indian River Lagoon and the Florida Keys.
The Florida blenny is a bottom-dwelling fish. This means it spends most of its time near the seabed. It often lives around mangrove trees and rocky reefs.
What it Eats
The Florida blenny is an omnivore. This means it eats both plants and animals. What it eats can change as it grows. Smaller blennies mostly eat tiny creatures called copepods. These are found floating in the water.
Larger blennies eat more things. They often feed near the seabed. Their diet includes detritus (dead plant and animal bits) and other plant material. They also munch on polychaete worms, small molluscs, and shrimps. Sometimes, they even eat other crustaceans and fish eggs. Other fish and large invertebrates probably eat the Florida blenny.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The Florida blenny does not swim in large groups. During the breeding season, males become very territorial. They will defend their chosen spot. The breeding season lasts from about March to October.
A male blenny will mate with several females. All these females will lay their eggs in the same spot. They choose places like empty shells of eastern oysters or rigid pen shells. They also use rock crevices, sponges, or even discarded cans. In one case, 11,000 eggs were found in a single can!
The male blenny is a great dad. He guards the eggs for about three weeks until they hatch. Meanwhile, the females keep producing more batches of eggs throughout the breeding season. After hatching, the baby blennies are called larvae. They float in the water and eat tiny zooplankton. After about three weeks, when they are 6 mm (0.24 inches) long, they settle down to the seabed.
See also
In Spanish: Chasmodes saburrae para niños
