Teleostei (teleosts) >
Blenniiformes (Blennies) >
Blenniidae (Combtooth blennies) > Blenniinae
Etymology: Meiacanthus: Greek, meion = less = lessen + Greek, akantha = thorn (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 5 - 21 m (Ref. 86942). Tropical
Pacific Ocean: Fiji and Tonga.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 54980)
Dorsal spines (total): 4 - 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26 - 27; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 16 - 17. Lunate caudal fin with elongated lobes in adults; live color dark olive with wedge-shaped, orange-yellow stripe along sides of body; cheek and opercle green; caudal-fin base and lobes black with centroposterior area transparent whitish with dusky rays. Dorsal rays IV-V (usually V), 26-27; segmented caudal rays 11-13 (Ref. 54980).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Adults swim above the bottom. They feed on zooplankton. Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p. (Ref. 9710)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources