Teleostei (teleosts) >
Blenniiformes (Blennies) >
Blenniidae (Combtooth blennies) > Blenniinae
Etymology: Meiacanthus: Greek, meion = less = lessen + Greek, akantha = thorn (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 18 m (Ref. 58018). Tropical; 30°N - 22°S
Western Pacific: Moluccas and the Philippines east to Samoa, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Rowley Shoals in Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef and Tonga; Palau (Belau) in Micronesia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 90102)
Adults are found on reef slopes with large soft-coral communities (Ref. 48636). They form groups usually among gorgonians or black coral (Ref. 90102) in shallow protected reefs. Relatively common and broadly distributed. Feed on zooplankton. 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). Minimum depth from Ref. 58018.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 25.7 - 29.3, mean 28.5 °C (based on 1738 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00575 (0.00253 - 0.01308), b=3.06 (2.86 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.45 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 196 [100, 373] mg/100g; Iron = 1.06 [0.61, 1.83] mg/100g; Protein = 18.2 [17.0, 19.3] %; Omega3 = 0.104 [0.054, 0.196] g/100g; Selenium = 21.9 [10.2, 50.3] μg/100g; VitaminA = 226 [75, 707] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.15 [1.38, 3.19] mg/100g (wet weight);
