blenny

blen·ny

B0320700 (blĕn′ē)n. pl. blen·nies Any of numerous small chiefly marine bottom-feeding fishes of the suborder Blennioidei, having elongated bodies and often kept as aquarium fish.

[Latin blennius, a kind of sea fish, from Greek blennos, slime, blenny; see mel- in Indo-European roots.]

blenny

(ˈblɛnɪ) n, pl -nies1. (Animals) any blennioid fish of the family Blenniidae of coastal waters, esp of the genus Blennius, having a tapering scaleless body, a long dorsal fin, and long raylike pelvic fins2. (Animals) any of various related fishes[C18: from Latin blennius, from Greek blennos slime; from the mucus that coats its body]

blen•ny

(ˈblɛn i)

n., pl. -nies. any of several small, spiny-finned fishes of the family Blenniidae, having a long, tapering body. [1745–55; < Latin blennius a kind of fish < Greek blénnos slime, mucus]

Thesaurus

Noun

blenny - small usually scaleless fishes with comb-like teeth living about rocky shores; are territorial and live in holes between rockscombtooth blennyblennioid, blennioid fish - elongated mostly scaleless marine fishes with large pectoral fins and reduced pelvic finsBlenniidae, family Blenniidae - a family of fish including: combtooth blenniesBlennius pholis, shanny - European scaleless blennyMolly Miller, Scartella cristata - inhabits both coasts of tropical Atlantic

blenny

blenny,

common name of various species of extremely numerous small fishes belonging to the suborders Blennioidei (blennies) and Notothenioidei (Antarctic blennies). They are characterized by elongated, tapering bodies and a continuous long dorsal fin. Blennies live on the sea bottom, among reefs, rocks, or kelp, in burrows or shells, or among eelgrass or algae in shallow brackish water; some species are found in freshwater. A number of species spend long periods out of water in moist tidal zones. They feed on small invertebrates. Some blennies have scales and some do not; certain species have fleshy filaments on the head. Tropical Atlantic species include the striped blenny (found as far north as New York) and the more southerly freckled blenny. Those that live in kelp beds are mottled in coloration and those found in eelgrass are silver and green, matching their environment. The closely related wolffishes of the family Anarhichadidae, with large, tusklike teeth, are found in arctic Atlantic waters. They average 3 ft (90 cm) in length and are good food fishes, sold commercially as "ocean catfish." Blennies are classified in the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, suborders Blennioidei and Notothenioidei.

blenny

1. any blennioid fish of the family Blenniidae of coastal waters, esp of the genus Blennius, having a tapering scaleless body, a long dorsal fin, and long raylike pelvic fins 2. any of various related fishes

blenny

blen·ny

blenny

blen•ny

blenny

blenny,

blenny

blenny

Synonyms for blenny

noun small usually scaleless fishes with comb-like teeth living about rocky shores

Synonyms

Related Words