Animalia Life

Acanthemblemaria maria
FAMILY
Chaenopsidae
TAXONOMY
Acanthemblemaria maria Bцhlke, 1961, Treasure Island, Bahamas.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
May reach lengths of 2 in (50 mm). Head has welldeveloped bony spines covering the top almost to the dorsal fin origin. Body has broad brown bands separated by narrow pale areas; dark bands sometimes form large oval spots midlaterally.
DISTRIBUTION
Bahamas eastward to Belize and southward to Tobago.
HABITAT
Inhabits small tubes or holes abandoned by tube worms or other invertebrates in rock or limestone slopes and usually is found at depths shallower than 33 ft (10 m).
BEHAVIOR
Generally seen with only the head projecting from a hole, retreating into the hole on the approach of a diver or a large fish.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on small benthic invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Oviparous. Spawning has not been observed but is probably similar to that of other egg-laying blennies.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN. Healthy numbers exist in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. Local populations could be threatened by habitats destruction or pollution.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Potential significance as aquarium fish.

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