Snakeblenny (Lumpenus lampretaeformis)

Scientific name: Lumpenus lampretaeformis Walbaum, 1792

Snakeblenny (Lumpenus lampretaeformis)

The Snakeblenny (Lumpenus lampretaeformis) is a marine fish of the family Stichaeidae.

Biology

A benthic species, living in Y-shaped tubes in the mud in 50-200 m depth. The burrows are believed to be used for parental care of the eggs. Feeds on small crustaceans, mollusks, brittle stars and worms. Matures at 3 years with about 20 cm length. Spawning takes place in December - January, 1,000 eggs are laid on the sea floor, in deep water. Isolated population in the Baltic Sea is probably a relict from the last ice age that reached the Baltic Sea during the early saltwater stage of the sea.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Lumpenus lampretaeformis
Family
Stichaeidae (Pricklebacks)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
50.0
Depth range
30–373 m (98–1224 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range 30 - 373 m, usually 40 - 100 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North Atlantic: Spitsbergen southward to Scandinavian coasts, North Sea, southern part of the Baltic, the Faroes, Iceland and south-eastern coasts of Greenland, Elsewhere, western coasts of Greenland; also, Labrador and Newfoundland to Massachusetts Bay (subspecies Lumpenus lumpretaeformis serpentinus Storer).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.20; tmax=9;)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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