Teleostei (teleosts) >
Blenniiformes (Blennies) >
Blenniidae (Combtooth blennies) > Blenniinae
Etymology: Meiacanthus: Greek, meion = less = lessen + Greek, akantha = thorn (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated. Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)
Adults swim above the bottom (Ref. 9710). Juveniles observed to mingle with apogonid fishes among Diadema spines as a means of protection against predators like Pterois (Ref. 79545). Adults feed on zooplankton (Ref. 9710). Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
Randall, J.E., 1986. Red Sea reef fishes. London, Immel Publishing. 192 p. (Ref. 8883)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.6 - 29.3, mean 27.2 °C (based on 182 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.45 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 124 [77, 228] mg/100g; Iron = 0.954 [0.599, 1.524] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [17.6, 19.7] %; Omega3 = 0.159 [0.096, 0.264] g/100g; Selenium = 20.4 [11.4, 39.0] μg/100g; VitaminA = 227 [82, 610] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.78 [1.23, 2.52] mg/100g (wet weight);