Striped slimy fish
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Striped slimy fish ( Parablennius gattorugine ) |
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| Parablennius gattorugine | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The striped slimy fish ( Parablennius gattorugine ) is a species of fish from the family of the slimy fish (Blenniidae). It is native along the coasts of the northeast Atlantic, from southern France to Morocco. This species is also known from the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Marmara Sea and the Balearic Islands.
Appearance and characteristics
The striped blimp is strongly built and has an average body size of 20 to 25 centimeters, but can also reach a size of up to 30 centimeters. The standard color is brownish with 6 to 7 vertical stripes along the side of the body, which continue on the dorsal fin. The striped blimp has an elongated dorsal fin, which is divided into a front and a rear part by a notch. The front part consists of 13 hard rays and 18 to 19 soft rays, while the rear part consists of two hard rays and 20 soft rays. The pectoral fins each consist of 14 soft rays and the ventral fins each consist of one hard ray and three soft rays. Sexually mature males are chocolatey brown with a pronounced, cauliflower-like anal gland, which is located in front of the anal fin. This species has bushy, Christmas tree-like tentacles above each eye. These are larger in males than in females. It can be confused with the red slimy fish ( Parablennius ruber ). This is a related species, the tentacles of which are branched in a plane above the eyes. The appearance of Parablennius gattorugine is very distinctive and differs from individual to individual. Individuals can even be recognized by their facial coloring. Dominant males are dark in color, while non-dominant males, like the females, are paler and smaller. Otherwise there is only a slight difference between the sexes ( sexual dimorphism ).
distribution
Parablennius gattorugine is found in the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Marmara Sea, Atlantic and the northeast Atlantic from southern France to Morocco. This species is also native to the British Isles.
habitat
Parablennus gattorugine inhabit rocky coasts and reefs at depths of up to 32 meters. In exceptional cases, however, they can also be seen at a depth of 40 meters. Often, however, this species can be found at a depth of 1 to 3 meters. This vertical range, from 1 to 40 meters deep, is larger than other Blenniids. They prefer a rocky bottom with niches and crevices in which they can hide. Sometimes they can also be found under empty snail and mussel shells.
nutrition
Parablennius gattorugine is an omnivore ( omnivore ) with a preference for plant material. After examining the digestive tract, this species feeds on polychaetes and macroalgae. However, it was once observed how this species of slime predatory feeds on squid eggs. This underscores the opportunistic diet of this species.
Reproduction
This species lives polygamously, with males and females each mating with several partners. The brood care is taken over by the males. The female sticks the eggs, with an adhesive secretion, in the crevice guarded by a territorial male. These egg packages can also be glued to the rock ceiling. The male fertilizes the eggs and keeps the crevice free from dirt. However, it is not known at what point in time fertilization takes place, as this has not yet been observed. The dominant male aggressively defends the crevice against predators and other males. It is believed that, as with other blenniids , the males can secrete an antibacterial secretion through an anal gland, which is brushed over the eggs for care. The egg-laying usually takes place from March to mid-July and can be repeated several times a year. The juveniles live in open water until they reach a length of approx. 18 millimeters before they return to the rocks.
Behavior and coloring
While the intensely colored dominant males can show a strongly territorial behavior, which can lead to attacks with bites, the behavior of the non-dominant males is completely different. These males are difficult to distinguish from females due to their weak coloring and can therefore sneak into the crevice of a dominant male after a female has laid eggs and fertilize the eggs. Such behavior is known as "sneaker behavior". If two males meet during the breeding season, a so-called "stand off" can occur. Here, the males face each other at a distance of a few centimeters and pause until one of the individuals swims away. This behavior can usually be observed over a period of 5 seconds to a minute. With this behavior, however, a duration of over 20 minutes could already be determined. This species is mainly active during twilight, morning, and evening.
Danger
According to the IUCN Red List , Parablennius gattorugine is not endangered and is therefore listed in the “Least Concern” category. The reason for this is that it is a common species that is widespread. Furthermore, no threats of this kind are known and the population is considered stable.
Web links
- Parablennius gattorugine inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Antonio Di Natale, Murat Bilecenoglu, Michel Bariche, Can Bizsel, Enric Massuti, Jeffrey Williams, Matthew Craig, 2007. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Brünnich M T .: Ichthyologia Massiliensis, sistens piscium descriptiones eorumque apud incolas nomina. Accedunt Spolia Maris Adriatici. Hafniae et Lipsiae. First part. Pisces massilienses, 1768, p. xvi +1-84 .
- ↑ a b Brünnich M T .: Ichthyologia Massiliensis, sistens piscium descriptiones eorumque apud incolas nomina. Accedunt Spolia Maris Adriatici. Hafniae et Lipsiae. Second part. Spolia e Mari Adriatica reportata, 1768, p. 85-110 .
- ↑ a b c d Naylor A .: The Lives and Times of Tompot Blennies. Bulletin of Porcupine Marine Natural History Society . tape 9 , 2018, p. 28-43 .
- ↑ a b Di Natale A, Bilecenoglu M, Bariche M: Parablennius gattorugine . In: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011 . 2011.
- ↑ Tiralonge F, Tibullo D, Brundo MV: Habitat preference of combtooth blennies (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Blenniidiae) in very shallow water of the Ionian Sea, south-eastern Sicily, Italy . In: Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria . No. 46 (2) , 2016, pp. 45-48 .
- ↑ Karachle PK: Diet composition and overlap of 43 fishes in the North Aegean Sea, Greece . In: Acta Adriatica . No. 58 (1) , 2017, pp. 125-136 .
- ↑ Guerra A, González JL: First record of predation by a Tompot blenny on the common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis egg . In: Vie et Milieu, Life and Environment . No. 61 (1) , 2011, pp. 45-48 .