Feather Blenny

Feather Blenny

Hypsoblennius hentzi

Size: to 5"

Habitat: bays, estuaries, protected coastal waters

Notes:

Blennies live on the bottom in oyster beds or mussel beds. If you find an old piece of pipe or a bottle in the river, look inside - you'll probably find a blenny.

Feather Blenny

Feather Blennies have branching "horns" over the eyes, called cirri.

Similar Striped Blenny has a more pointed profile with almost invisible cirri. I have not yet encountered the third and final species of blenny in our area - the Seaweed Blenny.

Feather Blenny
Feather Blenny
When I was cleaning his aquarium once, this little bugger swam up and bit my hand, and left a mark !!! They have very strong jaws.

USS Algol

by Michael C. Barnette

PCBs

Poly-chlorinated biphenols (PCBs) and heavy metals ( Pb, Cu, Ni, Cd, Zn, Ag, and Hg ) have become an issue of concern with artificial reef development, as popular reef building materials ( e.g., ex-Navy vessels ) may contain quantities of these toxic materials that may potentially be transferred through the food chain. This transference, or bioaccumulation, may have unforseen effects on the marine environment and, ultimately, human health through consumption of contaminated finfish and shellfish harvested from these reefs. However, thousands of ships have met their demise without the environmental cleansing and preparation that artificial reefs require, perhaps posing a potentially greater health risk to consumers and divers.