Spotted Eel Blenny, Notograptus guttatus Günther 1867
Other Names: Spotted Eel-blenny, Spotted Snake-blenny
A Spotted Eel Blenny, Notograptus guttatus, from Channel Island, Darwin, Northern Territory, October 2020. Source: Nick Volpe / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A small pale brown to reddish-brown eel blenny covered in small dark spots or ocelli that are larger on the head. Juveniles are whitish with a broad brown stripe along the side, a brown stripe on top of the head, and an orange bar through the eye. The species has long-based dorsal and anal fins, and a large mouth.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2024, Notograptus guttatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 27 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1728
Spotted Eel Blenny, Notograptus guttatus Günther 1867
More Info
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Distribution |
Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, also Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, to Shoalwater Bay, Queensland, including reefs in the Coral Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in West Papua and the Moluccas, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Inhabits crevices and rubble areas on inshore reefs, including tide pools. |
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Feeding |
Feeds on crustaceans, including alpheid shrimps, which are swallowed whole. |
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Biology |
The eggs are laid in a nest and are guarded by the male parent. |
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Etymology |
The specific name is from the Latin guttatus (= spotted, speckled), in reference to the spotted coloration of this species. |
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Species Citation |
Notograptus guttatus Günther 1867, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 3 20(8): 64. Type locality: Cape York, Queensland. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2024 |
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Resources |
Spotted Eel Blenny, Notograptus guttatus Günther 1867
References
Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.
Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.
Castelnau, F.L. de 1875. Researches on the fishes of Australia. Intercolonial Exhibition Essays. 2. pp. 1–52 in, Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 : Official Record. Melbourne. (described as Blanchardia maculata, type locality Queensland) See ref online
Gill, A.C. & Mooi, R.D. 1993. Monophyly of the Grammatidae and of the Notograptidae, with evidence for their phylogenetic positions among perciforms. Bulletin of Marine Science 52(1): 327-350 figs 1-15 See ref online
Günther, A. 1867. Additions to the knowledge of Australian reptiles and fishes. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 3 20(8): 45-68 See Ref at BHL
Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp.
Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293
Marshall, T.C. 1964. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coastal Waters of Queensland. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 566 pp. 136 pls.
Mooi, R.D. 1999. Families Plesiopidae, Notograptidae. pp. 2586-2587 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790.
Mooi, R.D. & Gill, A.C. 2004. Notograptidae, sister to Acanthoplesiops Regan (Teleostei: Plesiopidae: Acanthoclininae), with comments on biogeography, diet and morphological convergence with Congrogadinae (Teleostei: Pseudochromidae). Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 141: 179-205, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00119.x
Munro, I.S.R. 1967. The Fishes of New Guinea. Port Moresby : Dept. Agric. Stock Fish. 651 pp. 23 figs 84 pls.
Tyler, J.C. & Smith, C.L. 1970. A new species of blennioid fish of the family Notograptidae from eastern Australia. Notulae Naturae, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 431: 1-12 figs 1-3 (described as Notograptus kauffmani, type locality Little Hope Island, about 5 miles off the coast of northern Queensland, Australia, depth 0-2 feet)
Whitley, G.P. 1931. Studies in Ichthyology No. 4. Records of the Australian Museum 18(3): 96-133 figs 1-2 pls 11-16 https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.18.1931.720 (described as Notograptus livingstonei, type locality Broome, Western Australia)
