Scartella cristata

Scartella cristata

The molly miller (Scartella cristata Linnaeus, 1758) is a sea fish belonging to the Blenniidae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Animalia,
Sub-kingdom Eumetazoa,
Bilateria branch,
Superphylum Deuterostomia,
Phylum Chordata,
Subphylum Vertebrata,
Infraphylum Gnathostomata,
Superclass Osteichthyes,
Actinopterygii class,
Perciformes order,
Suborder Blennioidei,
Blenniidae family,
Genre Scartella,
S. cristata species.
The terms are synonymous:
– Adonis cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758);
– Blennius arboreus Bath, 1966;
– Blennius asterias Goode & Bean, 1882;
– Blennius crinitus Valenciennes, 1836;
– Blennius cristatus Linnaeus, 1758;
– Blennius microstomus Poey, 1860;
– Blennius pinaru Lacepède, 1800;
– Scartella cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758);
– Scartella microstoma (Poey, 1860).

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
The molly miller is the only species of this genus that lives in the Mediterranean but is widespread worldwide. It is found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, both temperate and tropical, between the Strait of Gibraltar and Angola on the eastern side and between Florida and Bermuda to the north and Brazil to the south on the western side. It has also been reported in Japan and Taiwan but these are reports to be confirmed.
In Italy it has been found in the Mediterranean and in the Tyrrhenian Sea but only in some places for which it is to be considered rare.
Its habitat is that of very shallow waters, sometimes between the breakers, in areas rich in rocks, occupying small holes as a den, preferring those left by bivalves.

Description –
The Scartella cristata is a fish with a maximum size of about 10 cm which, unlike other blennids, is recognized by the characters of the cephalic tentacles, in fact the supraorbital tentacle is short and frayed and there is a band of short erectile tentacles on the nape that does not has no other European blennide.
The body is greenish-olive in color with blackish transversal bands, with dark marbling on the back extending to the dorsal fin and clear vertical lines on the body; the base of the fins is yellowish.

Biology –
The Scartella cristata is an oviparous species whose reproduction takes place in a cavity where the male attracts and pushes the female.
The custody of the laid eggs is done subsequently by the male.

Ecological Role –
The Scartella cristata is essentially a herbivorous species that feeds on the algae present in the environments where it spends most of its time.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Louisy P., 2016. Guide to the identification of marine fish of Europe and the Mediterranean. Il Castello Editore, Milan.
– Nikiforos G., 2008. Mediterranean fauna. Giunti Editore, Florence.
Photo source: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=image&tid=126782&pic=148397