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Trees- ShrubsPeacock Blenny ( Salaria pavo )
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Salaria pavo have an ocellated blue spot behind their eye and a short tentacle on each eye. The irises of the eye are silverish-blue and the eyes are large, approximately 0.4mm in diameter (1). They have a laterally compressed body, which is beige to greeny brown, with vertical blue lines that become spots towards the tail. The male’s can be distinguished by their forehead, which is tall, thin and sometimes angular. In the breeding season, the males are often tinted yellow or orange (2).
There are three other species in the Salaria genus, these include; S. basilisca, S. economidisi and S. fluviatilis, the latter two species inhabit freshwater habitats, whereas S. basilisca is found exclusively in marine habitats.
Normally found in shallow waters, up to the tidal zone on rocky to sandy substrata, and is often found in ports and coastal lagoons. They are able to cope with brackish and polluted waters (2).
As with many other members of the Blennidae family, they inhabit crevices and holes produced by the mollusc – piddock (3). They are oviparous, and lay demersal, adhesive eggs in these holes and crevices (4). The eggs are yellow, orange or amber and are 1.1-1.2mm wide (1). Males guard the eggs of several females in their hole. Courtship behaviour includes nodding, and undulating movements as well as biting and ramming females to trigger spawning (4). They spawn during May, June and July (3).
S. pavo are found in the eastern Atlantic from France to Morocco, and in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Suez Canal (3).
S. pavo is a benthic species.
S. pavo prefers to feed on algae and benthic invertebrates; mussels are the preferred benthic invertebrate (3).
Not evaluated under the IUCN Redlist (5).
Description written by Nikkita Lawton (2009)
(1) Chesalina, T. L., (1998). On the identification of the larvae of Black Sea fishes of the family Blennidae. Journal of Ichthyology; 38: 140-142
(2) Louisy P (2002). Guide d’indentification des Poissons Marins Europe et Mediterranee. Les Editions Eugen Ulmer.
(3) Zander, C.D. (1986). Blenniidae. pp. 1096-1112. In Whitehead, P. J. P., Bauchot,M.-L., Hureau, J.-C., Nielsen, J. and Tortonese, E. (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, volume 3. UNESCO, Paris.
(4) Breder, C.M. and Rosen, D. E. (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. pp. 941
(5) IUCN (2009). IUCN Red List. IUCN Red List. [Accessed: 05 June 2009.] http://www.iucnredlist.org.
(6) Fish Base. Salaria pavo. [Accessed 5 June 2009] www.fishbase.org
