Blennioidei
The mucus Fishy ( Blennioidei ) are coastal living marine fish from the group of relatives perch ( Percomorphaceae ).
Features
Mucus Fishy are usually small, slender fishes with laterally compressed body that is not or only incompletely scaly. Their skin has a high density of mucus -producing cells. Most species have only an incomplete lateral line organ. The pelvic fins are threadlike and sit very far forward, sometimes they missed. The dorsal fin is long, the hard and the weichstrahlige part have grown together.
Way of life
Almost all mucus Fishy live in the sea, mostly near the coast in shallow water on rocky or coral reefs. They eat all kinds of small invertebrates. Some species are food specialists and eat coral polyps and algae. Many species are very territorial.
System
There are six families with 151 genera and nearly 900 species. The following cladogram shows the kinship of all members of the blenny -like taxa and the related plate fish as outgroup:
Sign Pisces ( Gobiesocoidei )
Three fin blennies ( Tripterygiidae )
Blennies ( Blenniidae )
Codfish ( Clinidae )
Scaly blennies ( Labrisomidae )
Pike blennies ( Chaenopsidae )
Sand stargazers ( Dactyloscopidae )