Redlip Blenny, Ophioblennius macclurei

Redlip Blenny, Ophioblennius macclurei. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters off Bonaire, December 2019. Photographs courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Redlip Blenny, Ophioblennius macclurei, is a member of the Combtooth Blennies or Blennidae Family, and is known in Mexico as borracho labio rojo. Globally, there are five species in the genus Ophioblennius, of which two are found in Mexican waters, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific Ocean.

The Redlip Blenny has an elongated compressed cylindrical body. They are dark brown with the lower lip and the margins of the anal and dorsal fins are red as is the lower portions of the pectoral fins. They have a short head with a very steep profile, disproportionately large eyes and a small non-protrusible mouth that opens in the front and is equipped with numerous teeth on each jaw and a single canine on the rear of the lower jaw. They have a single branched cirrus at the nostril and a single slender cirrus over the eyes. Their anal fin has a long base with 2 spines and 20 to 22 rays; their caudal fin is rounded; and their first dorsal fin has 12 spines and 19 to 21 rays. Their lateral line is divided into two independent overlapping segments and their skin is smooth and without scales.

The Redlip Blenny is a non-migratory coastal species found in intertidal and sub-tidal rocky reef areas in clear water at depths up to 70 m (230 feet). They reach a maximum length of 12.5 cm (4.9 inches). They are highly territorial and will vigorously defend their habitat against intruders. They are diurnal and feed on algae and sessile crustaceans. Reproduction is oviparous in distinct pairs with the females depositing eggs in protected areas. The eggs are sticky and adhere to the walls of the shelter; they are then fertilized by the males who guard them for 2 to 3 weeks until they hatch. Their larvae are planktonic. The Redlip Blenny is a small shallow-water species and is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Redlip Blenny is a fairly easy species to identify due to its body color and steep head profile, The possible exceptions are the Atlantic Oyster Blenny, Hypleurochilus pseudoaequipinnis, Barred Blenny, Hypleurochilus bermudensis, and the Featherduster Blenny, Hypleurochilus multifilis, but all three do not have darkly colored heads.

The Redlip Blenny is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.

From a conservation perspective the Redlip Blenny is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are too small to be of interest to most however, they are used on a limited basis by the aquarium trade.