Coryphoblennius Norman, 1943
Diagnosis: gill membranes united. Tentacles on nasal opening and nape, the former an unpaired, fleshy, triangular structure. Lateral line reduced. Canine teeth in lower jaw; dentaries joined by ligament. Clublike glands at ends of dorsal finrays. Dorsal finrays XIII + 16-17; anal finrays II + 16 19; pectoral finrays 12; pelvic finrays I + 3. Colour: basic coloration light grey or brown; dark vertical bars on body; Atlantic specimens often dark-spotted; spawning males totally dark or marbled with white upper lip. Size: to 8 cm.
Habitat: steep rocks in intertidal or surf zone, sometimes in supralittoral zone. Behaviour: day active, especially at high tide; during night sleeping up to 0.4 m above water-level. Males court by lateral rocking of head. Food: bottom invertebrates, especially barnacles; also algae which are scraped from substrate. Reproduction: May-August. Males hold territories in depressions, crevices or piddock holes. Egg-masses from many females guarded by male.
Distribution: Mediterranean, Black Sea and from southern Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany southwards to Guinea; also off the Azores and the Canaries.
Species 1.
Recent revisions: Bath (1977), Bock and Zander (1986).
Species of this genus in the program:
Coryphoblennius galerita