Blennie Trigloïde

Overview

The Blennie trigloïde (Lipophrys trigloides) is a small, coastal combtooth blenny known for its unique ability to breathe air when out of water. Unlike most of its relatives, this species is primarily active at night, spending its daylight hours hidden within rocky crevices and troughs along wave-battered shores.

Appearance

This species features an elongated, laterally compressed body with a flattened ventral side and a large, bulky head. Its eyes are positioned high on the head, and its snout is short, giving it a profile somewhat reminiscent of a gurnard. The skin is scaleless and coated in mucus, typically displaying an olive to grayish base color marked with irregular brown spots and five to six dark vertical bands. During the breeding season, males may develop a distinctive bright red rim on their anal fin.

Biology & behavior

Highly adapted to the intertidal zone, this blenny can survive for extended periods—sometimes up to 10 hours—outside of the water by hiding under rocks or seaweed. It is generally sedentary and solitary, often remaining motionless to mimic the surrounding rock or coral. While it is the only known nocturnally active combtooth blenny, it remains relatively inactive except during its spawning period. Reproduction involves distinct pairing, where the female lays demersal, adhesive eggs that are attached to the substrate by a small pedestal.

Feeding

As a hunter low in the food chain, its diet consists of a variety of benthic invertebrates, including mussels and other small organisms, as well as algae.