Shore Buddies Wisdom Wednesday
Image by Danny Lee
Tasmanian Blenny fish are odd looking fish that bring joy to the reefs with a large head, a blunt snout with a steep profile, and a large frilled tentacle over each eye. Tasmanian Blennies are pale brownish to dark brown or bluish-grey with a pattern of irregular bars and blotches on the sides, and two dark bars radiating from below the eye. Males have about six indistinct darker saddle-like markings above the midline of the body. Females have indistinct saddles, each broken up into a checkerboard pattern. They are most commonly found in littered cans and bottles found in the ocean located in tide pools, around jetties along the south coast, and on shallow algae covered reefs. Individuals often poke their heads from holes and crevices, like the discarded cans and bottles. They feed on algae, which adds to their goofy appearance when they acquire green beards and mustaches.