Petroscirtes thepassii Bleeker, 1853
Thepas' sabretooth blenny
Petroscirtes thepassii
photo by Randall, J.E.

Family:  Blenniidae (Combtooth blennies), subfamily: Blenniinae
Max. size:  5.9 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 1 - 5 m
Distribution:  Western Central Pacific: Moluccas, New Guinea, Solomon Islands; Belau and Yap in Micronesia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 10-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-18. Closely related to P. variabilis, but is usually more elongate and has a bulbous or elongate snout.
Biology:  Adults inhabit weedy areas such as Sargassum beds. They occur in shallow seagrass beds where they hide by pressing itself against a blade of seagrass. Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 25 March 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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