Arrow blenny (Lucayablennius zingaro)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Lucayablennius zingaro, the arrow blenny, is a species of chaenopsid blenny found in coral reefs around the Bahamas and the Caribbean, in the western central Atlantic Ocean. It can reach a maximum length of 5.7 cm. This species is the only known member of its genus.
- Scientific name
- Lucayablennius zingaro
- Authority
- (Böhlke, 1957)
- Family
- Chaenopsidae
- Order
- Blenniiformes
- Maximum length
- 5 cm
- Depth range
- 13–106 m
- Habitat zone
- reef-associated
- Iucn red list
- Least Concern
- Gbif occurrence records
- 215
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Blenniiformes · Family: Chaenopsidae · Genus: Lucayablennius.
Accepted name: Lucayablennius zingaro · Authority: (Böhlke, 1957) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 281410.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Lucaya zingaro Böhlke, 1957.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=281410 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Lucayablennius zingaro. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 5 cm · Depth range: 13–106 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: elongated · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.
FishBase notes: Inhabits coral reefs (Ref. 5521). Drifts with bended tail to prey on small fish. Retreats into holes or empty worm tubes. Ignores divers (Ref. 9710). Often seen with schools of masked gobies (Ref. 26938).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 16580) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lucayablennius-zingaro.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
215 georeferenced occurrence records for Lucayablennius zingaro are published through GBIF from 18 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 43 distinct locations from a sample of 215 records, omitting 4 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: Belize (77); Honduras (43); Bahamas (23); Colombia (19); Cayman Islands (16); Guadeloupe (6); Jamaica (4); Martinique (4); Barbados (3); Cuba (3); Saint Lucia (3); Panama (3); Turks and Caicos Islands (3); Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (2); Dominica (2).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2381413) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2381413&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=281410 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Lucayablennius zingaro (Böhlke, 1957) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 47143309) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/47143309/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2381413) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2381413/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
The arrow blenny can be found in coastal coral reefs near the Bahamas, Caribbean, and western Atlantic Ocean. Their range extends as far west as the western side of the Yucatán Peninsula, as far north as the Florida Keys, and as far south as the eastern tip of South America. Their depth range is typically 13 to 106 m.
The arrow blenny is truly unique among blennys regarding their appearance. They have an elongated pointed snout which they use for catching prey. Their coloration is typically a cinnamon red or brown which fades to yellow towards the tail. They have three stripes, one white one on the top center of the head ending at the base of the dorsal fin, and one on each side starting at the front of the eyes and running to the base of the caudal fin. Both of these side stripes start white and fade to yellow. They also have black spots, three on the rear of the dorsal fin and two on the rear of the anal fin. Their tail, being truly unique, is always held at a curve. So much so that the tail is facing the same direction as the head. This tail curve allows the fish to catch small currents in the water column.
Source: Wikipedia: Lucayablennius zingaro — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucayablennius_zingaro (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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