Cirripectes obscurus
Species of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cirripectes obscurus, the gargantuan blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny considered endemic to coral reefs in the Hawaiian island chain.[2][3] It's perhaps the largest and most colorful of the Hawaiian blennies.
| Cirripectes obscurus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Blenniidae |
| Genus: | Cirripectes |
| Species: | C. obscurus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cirripectes obscurus (Borodin, 1927) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Exallias obscurus Borodin, 1927 | |
Description
Cirripectes obscurus, lives in dark holes in the surf zone and is therefore rarely observed. This large species is purplish-brown with white speckles and irregular vertical bands, while the back and tail are dark brown with scattered white dots.[4] Nuptial males have a vivid orange head and can reach up to eight inches in length.[3] This species reaches a length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) TL.[5][3]
Distribution and habitat
Cirripectes obscurus is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, although one putative specimen has been collected in the Austral Islands.[2] This species lives on shallow reefs and lagoons at depths ranging from 3 to 20 feet (1 to 6 meters). Cirripectes obscurus, lives in dark holes in the surf zone and is therefore rarely observed.[3]
