The tompot blenny has an elongated body with a dominant brown color and alternating vertical dark and light bands. There’s a slight offset in the banding pattern halfway up the body, where the dark bands rise from the belly and the lighter bands run along the back and extend into the dorsal fin. This small fish averages around 6 inches in length with a maximum size of about 12 inches.
Like tufts of hair, two characteristic branched appendages stand upright on top of the tompot blenny's head !
The blenny has scaleless skin covered in a slimy mucus, earning it the nickname « slimy ».
The tompot blenny features a small mouth and prominent, red-bordered eyes that give it an « inquiring » look. Two characteristic branched appendages—more pronounced in males than females—stand upright between its eyes on top of its head, resembling tufts of hair. Additionally, there is a tiny branched appendage near each nostril.
The tompot blenny has a single, continuous dorsal fin that decreases in height from head to tail. Its broad, rounded pectoral fins allow it to spend its days resting on the seafloor while observing its surroundings.
Geographic range
The tompot blenny can be found in the Mediterranean sea, the northeastern Atlantic ocean along the coasts from Ireland to Morocco, the English Channel and the Black sea.
Habitat
The tompot blenny inhabits shallow waters, from a few feet to about 100 feet deep, usually in rock crevices covered with algae. Once a blenny settles into a cavity, it typically occupies it alone except during mating season when the female lays her eggs there.
Diet
The tompot blenny primarily feeds on small invertebrates such as worms, crustaceans, and even small shellfish that it can crush with its powerful jaws.
The tompot blenny has bulging, reddish-rimmed eyes
The tompot blenny is predominantly brown with alternating dark and light vertical stripes
Reproduction
During reproduction, the female lays her eggs in the rock cavity occupied by the male who then fertilizes and guards them until they hatch a month later.
Did you know ?
There are around twenty species of blennies along the Mediterranean coasts, out of nearly 400 total species, each with different appearances.
The tompot blenny is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The tompot blenny appears in the IUCN Red List since 2011 within the category Least Concern !
Tips for observing
Like a gossip standing at her door, the tompot blenny perches on its pectoral fins at the entrance of its rocky cavity ! Not easily frightened, the tompot blenny is quite approachable and readily poses for a photo ! So, grab your cameras !
Curious and not easily scared, the tompot blenny is happy to pose for a photo !
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