Pacific leaping blenny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pacific leaping blenny |
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The Pacific leaping blenny (Alticus arnoldorum) is a small fish also known as the leaping rockskipper. It belongs to a group of fish called combtooth blennies. These blennies are famous for their amazing ability to live both in and out of the water!
Males of this species can grow up to 8 centimetres (about 3 inches) long. They mainly eat algae by scraping it off rocks.
What Does It Look Like?
Male Pacific leaping blennies are quite striking. They have cool crests on their heads. Their dorsal fins, which are the fins on their back, are a bright orange-red color.
Where Do They Live?
The Pacific leaping blenny lives in warm, tropical reefs. You can find them in the western and southern Pacific Ocean. This includes places like Samoa, the Marianas, the Society Islands, and the Cook Islands.
These blennies live in limestone rocks near the water. They are known for leaping from one hole to another when they feel disturbed. This is how they got their common names, "leaping blenny" and "leaping rockskipper"!
Life on Land
What's really special about these fish is that they can spend several hours on land. They can even look for food and mate while out of the water! However, they need to stay moist to survive. If the tide goes too low and they dry out, they can't breathe.
Scientists have studied how these blennies move on land. They found that the Pacific leaping blenny can twist its tail 90 degrees. This helps them push their bodies forward and "leap" across rocks. This special tail movement is unique to this blenny and a few related species.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scientific name for this blenny is Alticus arnoldorum. The "arnoldorum" part of the name is a bit of a mystery. The person who first described this fish, Anthony Curtiss, read a book by Augusta Foote Arnold. It's thought that he named several animals after her or her family.
