Blennies and other fish at the dock

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Merry

Contributor
Messages
335
Reaction score
864
Location
Torrance, California
# of dives
1000 - 2499
Over the last few dock dives, I've been keeping my eye on a couple pair of bay blennies, Hypsoblennius gentilis. This truly exciting little fish exhibits sexual dimorphism and can even change color to match its surroundings.

One male and female (~4.5 - 5 inches) like to hang out on a vertical dock piling. Shy and flitty little things, it's been a challenge trying to get a decent shot of the female, which appears to be gravid.

Female bay blenny
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Male bay blenny - From Milton Love: "The males have a higher profile and a very much longer supraorbital cirrus, that of the female is reduced to a mere stud. Females have a more of less conspicuous metallic black spot on the second dorsal spine, followed by a red streak."


I've found a couple of different males:
Bay%20blenny%20DSC_3900-L.jpg


Male bay blenny
same%20male%20mussel%20blenny%20DSC_4129-L.jpg


Male bay blenny
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Male bay blenny
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This wise-guy thought he'd get a better look turned this way.
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Here's a small blenny that we see on the reefs as well, the mussel blenny, Hypsoblennius jenkinsi. Milton Love kindly confirmed the ID.

Mussel%20blenny%20DSC_4696-L.jpg


Mussel blenny
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Mussel blenny
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Mussel blenny
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I've only seen bay gobies, Lepidogobius lepidus, darting across the sand at night.

Bay%20goby%20DSC_3610-L.jpg


Bay gobies
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Spotted sand bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus
spotted%20sand%20bass%20DSC_4600-L.jpg



Round stingrays, Urobatis halleri,, appear at the marina in summer.
Round%20stingray%20DSC_4838-L.jpg



Round%20stingray%20DSC_4850-L.jpg
 
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