Bicolor Blenny, Ecsenius bicolor Click to enlarge image
A Bicolor Blenny at a depth of 4 m, Casuarina Beach, Lizard Island, Queensland, 2 January 2012. Image: Johanna Werminghausen
© Johanna Werminghausen

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Ecsenius
    Species
    bicolor
    Family
    Blenniidae
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    Including the elongated caudal fin, this species can grow to 11 cm in length.

Introduction

The Bicolor Blenny lives in crevices on coral reefs and comes in three colour forms. All have a curved pinkish marking behind the eye.

Identification

Three colour forms are known. The fish in the image is the two-coloured form, which is bright orange posteriorly. The second form is dark brown all over, and the third form has a more complex pattern with a black and a white stripe along the body. All three forms have a curved pinkish marking behind the eye.

Habitat

The Bicolor Blenny lives in crevices on coral reefs.

Distribution

The Bicolor Blenny is distributed from the central Indian Ocean to the western Pacific.

In Australia it is recorded from the central Western Australian coast to northern New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.


Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.