Head to head
Shanny vs Tompot Blenny
Shanny
VS Tompot Blenny
The shanny and the tompot blenny are two blennies that live on rocky shores around Britain and Ireland, and both are small, scaleless, bottom-dwelling fish with guarding fathers.
| Shanny | Tompot Blenny | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lipophrys pholis | Parablennius gattorugine |
| Relationship | A fellow member of the blenny family | A fellow member of the blenny family |
| Size | Usually around 10 to 16 cm long | Usually around 20 cm long |
| Appearance | A smooth, slimy, scaleless body, mottled olive-brown | A stout, scaleless body marked with broad, dark brown bars, a large, broad head, and a pair of branched, fringe-like tentacles above its eyes |
| Where it lives | Rocky shores and rock pools, often in the same pool for years | Rocky reefs in shallow water, sitting in a crevice or hole with only its head out |
| Special ability | Survives out of water for hours at low tide under damp weed, and finds its way back to its own pool after being moved | Watches passing animals and divers from the mouth of its crevice, often turning to look at them |
| Diet | Omnivore, eating algae, barnacles, small crustaceans, and other small animals in rock pools | Carnivore, eating small crustaceans, barnacles, worms, and molluscs picked from the rock face |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, widespread and abundant from Norway to Morocco | Least Concern, common on suitable reefs from the British Isles to Morocco and the Mediterranean |
Shanny vs Tompot Blenny: common questions
Which blenny survives out of water?
The shanny, which can survive for hours at low tide by hiding under damp weed and breathing through its skin.
What are the tentacles on a tompot blenny?
They are a pair of branched, fringe-like tentacles above its eyes, which give the fish its characteristic look.
Who guards the eggs?
In both species the male guards the eggs, which are laid in a crevice or hole in the rocks, until they hatch.