Smooth-lipped Blenny

Description:

This blenny is also called Rockskipper Blenny, Rippled Rockskipper, Toothless Blenny and Coral Blenny. It grows to a length of about 16cm (females shorter at 13cm). Males appear darkly dusky with 5-6 pairs of bands on body and pale stripes on dorsal fin; they develop a crest. Females are paler in color, their bands broken into spots posteriorly. When pursued, adults smooth-lipped blennies can jump out of the water in energetic skipping movements to reach another pool. They can remain out of water and stay under rocks or among seaweeds since they can also breathe air. This is an oviparous species; eggs are demersal and adhesive.

Habitat:

I. edentulus occur along the water line of rocky areas with slight to moderate wave action. They hide in cracks or holes (or empty bottles as in this case) when not feeding. Common in areas with large rubble pieces, especially under artificial jetties. Distribution: Indo-Pacific.

Notes:

This pair was inside a wide-mouthed bottle when I spotted them. One was peeking out from inside the bottle in a way that was really funny -- he looked at me like I was disturbing whatever it was they were doing inside their sanctum. The blenny couple was among rubble in about 5m of water, below the jetty of the Leticia by the Sea beach resort on Talikud Island, Samal, Philippines. (The photos are actually in reverse chronological order.)