Unknown Blenny

Taken in Loch Nevis 8/2008. The nearest I can come up with is a juvenile tompot blenny but have never seen a tompot with these white head markings. Also, the head tentacles are quite small and seem to project from the head at a lower point than on a tompot. The fish is pretty small and hiding in a whelk shell so couldn't light it very well.

All opinions welcomed

I had a look though Lythgoe and Lythgoe's reference book, but couldnt make a positive ID. I think the white coloring might be an illness or infection.

Lots of species have smaller horns, but the species that could match dont have a distribution north. So maybe it is a juvenile.....

I had a look though Lythgoe and Lythgoe's reference book, but couldnt make a positive ID. I think the white coloring might be an illness or infection.

 

Lots of species have smaller horns, but the species that could match dont have a distribution north. So maybe it is a juvenile.....

There have been a number of posts of members diving the NorthEast and NorthWest Atlantic that they are seeing species that are not supposed to be found that far north. Wonder if this could be one of them with an image to proof it!

Bart

Hi Jim

Its a Butterfly Blenny (Blennius ocellaris - P68 British Sea Fishes by F Dipper) which you often find in old whelk shells, guarding their eggs (the males I think). I've found them in Cardigan Bay (there's a good population) and Kilkieran Bay in Ireland. I filmed one this year (for a Welsh natural history program) and whilst it was very curious and would peer out at me, it would not come uot of the shell because of the eggs - I've seen this behavious many times now here in Cardigan Bay - interesting to have found one in Loch Nevis as they seem to be 'unusual' generally but can be locally abundant.

Thanks Paul. I did consider this i.d. using the very book you mention but was put off by the white patches - must have the fish equivalent of eczema or something! Done a bit more research and yes, I agree. A first for me! A pity it is not a better pic. Many thanks.