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ComonComom Blenny
Species ID & Info
Common Blenny (Shanny) (Lipophrys pholis)
The common blenny is a small shallow-water fish which is commonly found in coastal, inshore waters all around the UK and is often spotted by people exploring rock pools at low tide. Being a member of the Blenniidae family it is a true blenny species (although it goes under a range of other names, most often shanny). The common blenny is abundant around the British Isles. The common blenny will spend its whole life living in the inter-tidal zone of rocky coastlines. When the tide is in the common blenny will search for sources of food such as small prawns, sea slaters, ragworms, lugworms and any other small creatures which are found in inshore waters. When the tide goes out common blennies will remain in the same area and take refuge in a rockpool & wall crevices until the tide comes back in.

Montagu’s blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita)
Montagu's blenny is small and has an elongated body which has no scales, its eyes are set on top of the head and its mouth points downwards. It grows to approx 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in). The background colour is pale brown marked with olive-green vertical stripes and light blue spots. There is a single dorsal fin that runs along the total length of its body with an obvious notch part of the way along. There is fringed, fleshy crest situated between its eyes and this feature distinguishes Montagu's blenny from the other species. The fleshy crest continues along the dorsal surface of the blenny as a series of short fleshy tentacles. Large pectoral fins which are used to grip on to rock surfaces and resemble limbs. When spawning the males become uniformly dark or show a marbled pattern and have a white upper lip.

Tompot Blenny (Parablennius gattorugine)
The largest of the British blenny's. It is orangey-brown in colour, sometimes greenish, with mottled markings and several darker bars running down the body.
The tompot blenny is a medium-sized, elongated fish with a large head and big eyes. It has distinctive frilly tentacles on the top of its head - for which it has been given the nickname "the fish with antlers"!
They live in crevices in rocky reefs and are highly territorial - if you return to the same spot, you'll see the same fish in its hidey-hole. Generally living in shallow seas, but small tompot blennies are occasionally spotted in rockpools. Beware! they have very sharp teeth!
