ID fish at beach

SandJ · Aug 9, 2018

Was at the beach at Amelia Island, FL (very north east corner of FL) looking around the rock jetty and found these fish. Most were either on dry land or in small pools of water (the majority were alive, and there were hundreds of them). No idea how long they were exposed, but the water was just starting to reach them again. As soon as the waves flowed into their caves, they rushed back out into the ocean. Amazing to see.
Anyone know what kind they are?

Here are a bunch gathered at the base of the rock.

Crabs McJones · Aug 9, 2018

Mudskippers it looks like. Really cool find!

WVNed · Aug 9, 2018

Mudskipper

thenissantech · Aug 9, 2018

Definitely mud skippers

SandJ · Aug 9, 2018

Crabs Mcjones said:
Mudskippers it looks like. Really cool find!

WVNed said:
Mudskipper

Thanks! It was amazing to see them surviving on the sand, without any water what so ever. Then when a wave hit them they scattered back to the ocean. Off to research them...

SandJ · Aug 9, 2018

These are awesome fish! Said they are kept as pets...hmmmm lol
They were in pools of water with tiny fish fry (black dots in the picture above). Wonder if they were feasting on them?

Michael Naegeli · Aug 9, 2018

I live close to Siesta Key. Poop load of mudskippers all over, low tide. I’ve actually used to keep them in my tank. Caught mimic tangs around the beach on wrecks too. I haven’t caught my own in Atleast 10 years though.

SandJ · Aug 9, 2018

Michael Naegeli said:
I live close to Siesta Key. Poop load of mudskippers all over, low tide. I’ve actually used to keep them in my tank. Caught mimic tangs around the beach on wrecks too. I haven’t caught my own in Atleast 10 years though.

Very cool! We have been here dozens of times and never seen any, then there were hundreds of them today.
My 16 year old daughter wants to get a fishing license so she can collect fresh and saltwater fish lol

cristata.reef · Aug 9, 2018

Can't be a mudskipper. Cephalic morphology (mainly the positioning of the eyes) is inconsistent with any genus of mudskipper. Although I'm not super familiar with all the species on the east coast, these are definitely a type of combtooth blenny (family Blennidae). The continuous dorsal fin is also very different from the dual dorsal fin of most mudskippers

SandJ · Aug 9, 2018

Sonofives said:
Can't be a mudskipper. Cephalic morphology (mainly the positioning of the eyes) is inconsistent with any genus of mudskipper. Although I'm not super familiar with all the species on the east coast, these are definitely a type of combtooth blenny (family Blennidae). The continuous dorsal fin is also very different from the dual dorsal fin of most mudskippers

But I was excited about the mudskippers lol
One distinct feature was a blue line down the outer edge of the dorsal fin and the fin along its belly (shows up white on the picture). Also had two small “walking” type fins on its underside.

SandJ · Aug 9, 2018

Could they be a type of sculpin?
Just researched sculpin, and this seems to fit the description...but are they all venomous like the scorpionfish?!?!

cristata.reef · Aug 10, 2018

SandJ said:
Could they be a type of sculpin?
Just researched sculpin, and this seems to fit the description...but are they all venomous like the scorpionfish?!?!

Not a sculpin. Most cottids are coldwater which rules out the majority of the Caribbean (although there are a few species that occur there). regardless they are completely unrelated and too a trained eye look nothing alike (no offense). As for your question, some species can be mildly venomous with a weak venom in their dorsal spines that is similar to a bee sting at worst. I'm 100% certain it's a type of blenny, I just need to brush up on the species in your region to determine exactly which one

cristata.reef · Aug 10, 2018

Scartella cristata (AKA Molly Miller Blenny) is a species that is distributed circumtropically that matches the appearance of the individual in your picture (try to ignore color, blennies and many other fish change color in accordance to mood, habitat, geographic location, populations, etc). Another option would be a member of the Istiblennius genus but I can't find any decent papers describing the distribution of species in your area. For now I think S. cristata is your best bet

chris85 · Aug 10, 2018

+1 on the molly Miller's I have seen them stay out of the water for hours as long as they have a shaded damp space.

chris85 · Aug 10, 2018

Did they have a red afro??

SandJ · Aug 10, 2018

chris85 said:
Did they have a red afro??

Not that I seen...may run back by today and see if I see any more and get some pictures.

Maritimer · Aug 10, 2018

These are blennies for sure. @Chasmodes may be able to help identify them - they're kind of a specialty of his.

~Bruce

Chasmodes · Aug 13, 2018

I agree with the molly miller ID, Scartella cristata.
http://www.fishbase.se/summary/3770
http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4085

It is hard to see the cirri on the back of the neck and head (afro) when they are out of the water because they could be matted down. If you look at the ones in the water, you can see what looks like the reddish cirri/afro on the back of the neck. I thought that these blennies were found further South, but maybe their range extends that far North. I have a friend that has collected blennies all over the Southern East Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. I'll check with him and see what he thinks, and what the range is. He's the real expert.

At first I thought it might have been a crested blenny, Hypleurochilus geminatus because of the cirri being matted down (looks like a fleshy crest rather than the afro). But the coloration is wrong, and crested blennies have large eyelash like cirri over their eyes. Both species may have been there though, but the one in your hand looks like a molly miller.

The are very interesting blennies. It is fascinating that they can spend time out of the water and survive like that. It doesn't surprise me though, because inshore blennies are tough little critters.

BestMomEver · Aug 13, 2018

The LFS sells molly millers. They aren’t cheap. Collect one up and acclimate it to your tank.

SandJ · Aug 13, 2018

Chasmodes said:
I agree with the molly miller ID, Scartella cristata.
http://www.fishbase.se/summary/3770
http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4085

It is hard to see the cirri on the back of the neck and head (afro) when they are out of the water because they could be matted down. If you look at the ones in the water, you can see what looks like the reddish cirri/afro on the back of the neck. I thought that these blennies were found further South, but maybe their range extends that far North. I have a friend that has collected blennies all over the Southern East Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. I'll check with him and see what he thinks, and what the range is. He's the real expert.

At first I thought it might have been a crested blenny, Hypleurochilus geminatus because of the cirri being matted down (looks like a fleshy crest rather than the afro). But the coloration is wrong, and crested blennies have large eyelash like cirri over their eyes. Both species may have been there though, but the one in your hand looks like a molly miller.

The are very interesting blennies. It is fascinating that they can spend time out of the water and survive like that. It doesn't surprise me though, because inshore blennies are tough little critters.