Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XII + 14-15; A, II + 16-17; P, 14; V, I + 3;  photo :

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body deep, slightly elongated and compressed. Large head with mouth in the lower part. Jaws reaching back to level of vertical of anterior of eye. A single row of close-set teeth in both jaws. Araw of large strong backward re-curved canines at the corner of both jaws. Eye in the upper part of head, slightly protruding from head profile. Supraorbital tentacle with 4-6 cirri. A continuous long dorsal fin, the spines flexible. Anal fin originated below the ray portion of dorsal fin. Caudal fin rounded. Pectoral fin wide and rounded. Pelvic fin in lower part of the body and slightly in front of pectoral fin base. color : Body light brown to light olive green with several grey spots along the flank. Orange spots on the head and the anterior part of the body. Margin of anal fin white with black stripe above it. size : 3-5 cm (max 7 cm) DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Other Parablennius spp. – The spines on the dorsal fin longer than soft portion. Other blennies – No canines at the corner of both jaws; no supraorbital with 4-6 cirri. Gobiidae: pelvic fins united to form sucking disk. Tripterygiidae: three dorsal fins. Callionymidae: two dorsal fins; pelvic fin I + 5. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Unknown habitat : Probably shallow rocky substrate.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Antalya, Turkey 2013 (Özgür Özbek et al 2014) DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Wide Indo-Pacific distribution, Oman to Philipines, but no record from the Red Sea. Mediterranean: Antalya, Turkey ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare, a single specimen collected in Antalya, Turkey MODE OF INTRODUCTION Probably via the Suez Canal or ballast water or fouling. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Özgür Özbek, B., M. Özkaya, B. Öztürk and D. Golani, 2014 . First record of the blenny Parablennius thysanius (Jordan & Seale, 1907) in the Mediterranean. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 20(1), 53-59. Randall, J.E. 1995. Coastal Fishes of Oman. Honolulu, University of Hawai'i Press. 439 pp.       FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: January 2017 ©ciesm 2002