Kirk's blenny explained
The Kirk's blenny[1] (Alticus kirkii) is a species of combtooth blenny (family Blenniidae) in the genus Alticus. It was described by A. Günther in 1964, originally as a member of the genus Salarias.[2] It is a tropical blenny which is known from the Red Sea, Mozambique, Réunion, the Persian Gulf, and India, in the Indian Ocean.[3] Kirk's blennies inhabit waters near the shore, and often spend time out of the water. They are able to breathe air when on land.[3] They are oviparous, and form distinct pairs when mating; they also guard their eggs.[4]
Size
They can reach a maximum total length of 11 centimetres (4.33 inches),[3] and feed primarily off of benthic algae.[5]
Etymology
The common name and the specific name honour the Scottish doctor, naturalist and explorer John Kirk (1832–1922) who collected the type of this species and gave it to the British Museum (Natural History).[6]
External links
Notes and References
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=46411&GenusName=Alticus&SpeciesName=kirkii&StockCode=39101 Common names for Alticus kirkii
- Günther, A., 1868 (1 June) [ref. 1993] Additions to the ichthyological fauna of Zanzibar. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 4) v. 1 (no. 6): 457–459.
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/Alticus-kirkii.html Alticus kirkii
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/Reproduction/FishReproSummary.php?ID=46411&GenusName=Alticus&SpeciesName=kirkii&fc=392&StockCode=39101 Reproduction of Alticus kirkii
- http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/TrophicEco/FoodItemsList.php?vstockcode=39101&genus=Alticus&species=kirkii Food items reported for Alticus kirkii
- Web site: Order BLENNIIFORMES: Family BLENNIIDAE . The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database . 24 February 2019 . 26 October 2018 . Christopher Scharpf . Kenneth J. Lazara . Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara.
