Istiblennius zebra

The appearance of these fish can vary, ranging from shades of smart blue-black to charcoal or brownish gray with clear stripes.^[2] When in shallow water or when startled, their bodies can become speckled.^[2] Adults have a line of small, bright blue dots beneath their eyes.^[2] On their heads, there's a crest and two tentacles (with longer tentacles in males), which collapse when they are out of the water.^[2] Males of this species can reach a maximum standard length of 19.3 cm (7.6 in), while females can reach a maximum length of 14.1 cm (5.6 in).^[3] These fish engage in spawning throughout the year, peaking during the spring and early summer.^[2] Breeding males develop light yellow-tan patches on their cheeks that become more vivid when they defend their territory and disappear when they leave.^[2]The male constructs a nest in a crevice and performs vertical loops to attract a female.^[2] The female attaches up to 10,000 eggs to the walls of the crevice, which the male fertilizes and then guards until they hatch, typically taking about two weeks.^[2] The larvae venture into the sea for an unspecified duration before returning to tide pools when they reach approximately half an inch in length.^[2] They primarily feed on organic debris that gathers on the rocky surfaces and bottoms of the pools they inhabit.^[2]

The zebra blenny is endemic to Hawaii.^[4] They can leap, slide, and skip up to 2 feet above the water's surface as a survival mechanism.^[2] This intertidal fish's habitat is located in high tidepools.^[3] These fish are commonly found in tranquil pools above the high tide line and swim using side-to-side movements with their pectoral fins tucked along their sides.^[2] They sometimes come partially out of the water for sunbathing.^[2]

It can be found in the aquarium trade.^[5]