male breeding coloration
Blenniella gibbifrons (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
These blennies are common on shallow, barren, wave-washed reef flats in just a few inches of water. At Hanauma Bay, O`ahu, they are often seen peering from their holes right at the top of the fringing reef. Light greenish-brown, mottled and barred with darker brown, they blend well with the substrate. Males have blue-white spots on the sides and sometimes blue throats (perhaps breeding coloration), females have red dots on the head. The leading edge of the first dorsal fin of both sexes bears a dark spot. There is no crest. The eyes and forehead bulge out slightly, conferring both common and species names (the latter meaning "humped front"). To about 5 in. Indo-Pacific. Photos: Hanauma Bay, O`ahu. 12 in.