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Species Details

Details of Disco blenny will be displayed below

Disco blenny   

Common Name: Smith's fangblenny, Smith's harp-tail blenny
Scientific Name: Meiacanthus smithi
Local Name: Dhaiyhthoonu funna
Dhivehi Name: ދަތްތޫނު ފުންނަ
Animalia  (Kingdom)
Chordata  (Plylum)
Teleostei  (Class)
Perciformes  (Order)
Blenniidae  (Family)
Meiacanthus   (Genus)

Disco blenny's description

Disco blenny (Meiacanthus smithi) is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific and Indian oceans.

Short description - Similar to Meiacanthus atrodorsalis, but lacks yellow and black lines from eye and along dorsal fin are longer and thicker.

Disco blenny habitat

Meiacanthus are distinguished by having grooved dentary canines and associated glands. They are unique among fishes in having highly specialized toxic buccal glands. Species have a well-developed swim bladder and reduced vulnerability to predation that allows them to feed in the water column and forage over a wide area (Smith-Vaniz 1976).

This species occurs in coastal and inner reef habitats to about 20 m depth (Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001). Inhabits coral reefs (Lieske and Myers 1994). It exhibits sexual dimorphism. Juveniles are usually found solitary, and adults occasionally in pairs (Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001).

This species is engaged in mimetic relationships with Plagiotremus phenax and Scolopsis bilineatus, involving Aggressive, Mullerian and Batesian mimicry (Smith-Vaniz et al. 2001).

Disco blenny threats

There are no major threats known for this species.

Disco blenny's status