The Kelp Blenny Family – Clinidae

There are currently FOUR members of the Kelp Blenny or Clinidae Family, all from the Pacific Ocean, presented in this website:

FROM THE PACIFIC (4):

The Kelp Blennies or Clinids are members of the Clinidae Family and are known in Mexico as sargaceros. The family includes eighty-eight global species that have been placed into twenty-eight genera that are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans in temperate waters of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They are all found in marine coastal environments; however, the vast majority are poorly studied and poorly characterized. In Mexican waters four species are found in the Pacific, all of which are found only along the west coast of the Baja, and all four are included in this website.

The Kelp Blennies are generally small fish that are under 10 cm (3.9 inches) in length with the largest one being the Giant Kelpfish, Heterostichus rostratus, that reaches a maximum of 60 cm(2 feet 0 inches) in length. They vary in color, but most are various shades of reddish-brown to olive being cryptically colored to match their backgrounds. The Clinids have small round embedded cycloid scales, blunt heads with pointed snouts with conical teeth and head cirri. Their anal fins have two spines; their dorsal fins have more spines than rays with the initial spines being the longest and separated from the rest of the fin.

The Kelp Blennies are generally found in benthic environments from the intertidal zone, including tidal pools, to depths of 40 m (130 feet). In some areas they are the dominant intertidal species. They are normally found in areas with large amounts of algae and seagrasses. They rely heavily on their cryptic colors to avoid predation; some will school with and mimic other fishes. They feed primarily on small crustaceans and mollusks. In turn they provide an important food source for other fishes. In general, they are not consumed by humans due to their small stature. The Clinids are sexually dimorphic and the sexes have different colors during spawning season, with the males normally more colorful than the females. The males of many species are larger with larger mouths than females. Reproduction varies widely among the Clinids. Most are egg layers but a few from the Indo Pacific bear live young. Some spawn several times a year. Some have the ability to store sperm. For the majority, females deposit eggs on rocky surfaces or kelp which are immediately fertilized by the males. The males will then guard the eggs until they hatch. Most have life spans of between three and five years.

The Kelp Blennies are of little concern from a conservation perspective and none of them have been formally evaluated. They are considered to be an important component of the ecosystem consuming small fishes and numerous invertebrates. A limited number of the family members are utilized by the aquarium trade due to their distinctive markings. They date to the lower Tertiary and Middle Eocene Period, 50 million years ago.