Paraclinus fasciatus
Paraclinus fasciatus, the banded blenny, is a small fish found in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, from southern Florida to Venezuela. It lives near coral reefs and sea grass beds in shallow water, usually up to about 2 meters deep, and is sometimes seen among floating algae. It is a bottom-dwelling, camouflaged fish.
The banded blenny grows to about 15 millimeters in length. It has a brown body with thick black bands and three spines in its dorsal fin. It has the small, comb-like scales typical of blennies and a strong, special fin structure that helps it live on the bottom.
Reproduction: Blennies are typically sexually dimorphic, meaning males are larger and show breeding traits. They lay eggs (oviparous), and males defend a territory and guard the eggs in a sheltered spot until they hatch.
Diet: They are carnivores with a specialized diet. Juveniles mainly eat amphipods; adults eat amphipods plus shrimp, crabs, and isopods. Their diet can change with the seasons.
Ecology: Population density tends to rise with more drift algae in the water, which provides shelter and food.
Conservation: The banded blenny is listed as Least Concern.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:24 (CET).