bay blenny
Hypsoblennius gentilis
Small blenny of shallow waters and the intertidal zone of the Mexican Pacific. It is territorial, is almost never caught with a rod and poses no danger.
Also called: blênio-de-baía, borracho de bahía, bay blenny
- maximum
- 15 cm
- depth
- 0–25 m
who is the bay blenny
Small, elongated fish of the family Blenniidae, living in shallow waters and the intertidal zone, usually down to 10 m, in shelters. It reaches 15 cm and 7 years of age. It is territorial and feeds on small invertebrates and bottom algae. The male guards the eggs, which stick to the walls of the shelter. It occurs in the Mexican Pacific, from Baja California to the Gulf of California. It is taken for the trade and the aquarium, but almost never with a rod.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the bay blenny.
identification
Small, elongated fish of the family Blenniidae, living in shallow waters with shelters. Like blennies in general, it has no scales and a rounded head with eyes on top. It reaches 15 cm. Its territorial life, always close to its shelter, helps identify it in the field.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Mexico it occurs in the Pacific, from Baja California to the Gulf of California, in shallow intertidal areas. The species also extends north, to California in the United States.
Habitat: Shallow waters and intertidal zone, in shelters, usually down to 10 m.
rules for the bay blenny
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Poses no danger to anglers. It is a small fish: release it quickly, without keeping it out of the water for long.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Hypsoblennius gentilis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hypsoblennius gentilisNames by country and language.