The Yellow Black-Faced Blenny is a species in the large clade of Percomorpha and thus belongs to the superclass of the bony fish.
Description
Tripterygion delaisi has an elongated body with golden brown colour. On the back line it has several bright spots. There is a black spot on the tail. During the mating season, males have a conspicuous yellow colour with a black head and bright blue fin borders, which explains the origin of its name.
They reach a maximum size of 9cm.
Habitat and Distribution
The Yellow Black-Faced Blenny lives on rocky ground, down to a depth of 40m, but is preferably located in the shadow areas between 6 and 12m.
When diving in the Canaries you can observe it frequently. However, it is sometimes difficult to recognize, because it likes to be between plants.
Furthermore it is also spread from the coasts of Great Britain via Madeira, the Canary Islands to Senegal and the Mediterranean Sea.
Biology
Tripterygion delaisi feeds on small, ground-dwelling crustaceans and zooplankton.
The females spawn from May to July. During this time the female is courted by the male. The females lay their eggs at different places, in the territory of the males, where they are fertilized. In the case of the Yellow Black-Faced Blenny, the male takes care of the brood until the eggs hatch.