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Leaping blenny

Alticus kirkii

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth1–30 m
  • Water temperature24–30 °C
  • Best monthsApril, July, and October
  • How commonRare
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About this species

The Kirk's blenny is a species of combtooth blenny in the genus Alticus. It was described by A. Günther in 1964, originally as a member of the genus Salarias. It is a tropical blenny which is known from the Red Sea, Mozambique, Réunion, the Persian Gulf, and India, in the Indian Ocean. Kirk's blennies inhabit waters near the shore, and often spend time out of the water. They are able to breathe air when on land. They are oviparous, and form distinct pairs when mating; they also guard their eggs.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Kirk's blenny”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 1 records
  • February: 0 records
  • March: 1 records
  • April: 4 records
  • May: 0 records
  • June: 1 records
  • July: 4 records
  • August: 1 records
  • September: 1 records
  • October: 4 records
  • November: 4 records
  • December: 0 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 1–30 m · Deepest record: 30 m

  • 0–10 m: 1 records
  • 10–20 m: 0 records
  • 20–30 m: 0 records
  • 30–40 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C

  • 24–26 °C: 1 records
  • 26–28 °C: 19 records
  • 28–30 °C: 8 records

Names and classification

English
Leaping blenny, Kirk's Blenny, leaping blenny

Other scientific names: Alticus kirki, Lophalticus kirki, Lophalticus kirkii, Salarias kirkii

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 72 open-data records from 1868 to 2023.

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