Ecsenius stigmatura

Ecsenius stigmatura

Ecsenius stigmatura is a small fish of the family of blennies. He comes in the western Pacific in Indonesia and the Philippines in protected coral reefs at depths of one to 15 meters in front.

Features

The fish is a maximum of six inches long. It is of brownish -orange color, the iris is yellow and golden yellow stripe runs from the lower edge of the eyes to the posterior edge of the gill cover. Furthermore, there is a blue line. The lips are blue. From various similar looking species can best be distinguished by the black spot on the caudal fin base. Mature males have possibly filamentary extended upper and lower dorsal fin rays.

Way of life

Ecsenius stigmatura lives hidden and inhabited narrow, tubular cavities in which he first swims backwards into the tail and in which he spends the night and other rest periods. The fish are revier forming and each other very incompatible. They feed mainly on microalgae and very short green algae, which they scrape off with the comb-like teeth of stones and dead corals. In contrast to many other tropical blennies Ecsenius stigmatura gnaws not to hard corals.