Parablennius laticlavius
Common on rocky reefs around North Island, New Zealand, in water from 12 to 23C, this small blenny is worth slowing down for.
A tiny fish, only around 6 cm long, with a stocky, slightly compressed body that tapers to a blunt head. Look for the fleshy crest-like tufts above the eyes, the feature that gives it its name, along with a mottled brown to olive-grey body that blends into rocky and reef rubble backgrounds. It tends to sit propped on its pectoral fins rather than swim in open water, which is often the first clue you have spotted one rather than a triplefin or similar small reef fish.
Divers most often find this blenny wedged into a crevice or perched on a rock ledge, using its pectoral fins to prop itself up rather than swimming freely in the water column. It is not shy in the way some reef fish are, often holding its ground and watching divers rather than bolting for cover, which makes it an easy subject to photograph if you take your time and look closely at bare rock and reef rubble rather than open water.
The head crests are not just decoration, they are a feature shared with several other blenny species and are thought to play a role in visual signalling between individuals on the reef, though this has not been closely studied in this particular species.
Sightings show no clear seasonal pattern, and the species has been recorded across a wide temperature range from about 12 to 23C, so it appears to be present year-round rather than tied to a particular season. Divers report it as a common find at many North Island sites regardless of when they dive.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
This one is very much a New Zealand fish: every logged sighting so far comes from the North Island, where it turns up reliably on rocky reef dive sites. It is not a species you will find on a tropical reef trip; if you are diving temperate rocky reefs anywhere around the North Island, keep an eye on ledges and crevices.
Mapping where Crested Blenny is logged…
It is a North Island, New Zealand species, logged across a wide spread of rocky reef dive sites there. It has not been recorded diving elsewhere, so it is a reason to look closely at temperate reefs rather than tropical ones.
There is no strong seasonal pattern in the sightings, and it has been logged in water from about 12 to 23C, so it is considered a year-round find rather than a seasonal one.
Look for a small, stocky fish around 6 cm long with a mottled brown-grey body and small fleshy crests above the eyes. It usually rests propped on rock or reef rubble rather than swimming in open water.
They are a small species, typically reaching around 6 cm in length, making them easy to overlook unless you are searching crevices and ledges closely.
No, they pose no danger to divers. They are a tiny, non-aggressive reef fish that will simply watch you or retreat slightly into a crevice if approached.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
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