White Cheeked Blenny

Species distinguished by: dorsal-fin spines 24; total dorsal-fin elements 29 to 40; supraorbital cirrus simple, cranial spines short and blunt; patch of cranial spines on nape ends anterior to supratemporal commissural pore; inner rim of posterior infraorbital bone smooth; two or more rows of teeth on each palatine bone. Common amongst Chaenopsids: small elongate fishes; largest species about 12 cm SL, most under 5 cm SL. Head usually with cirri or fleshy flaps on anterior nostrils, eyes, and sometimes laterally on nape; gill membranes continuous with each other across posteroventral surface of head. Each jaw with canine-like or incisor-like teeth anteriorly; teeth usually also present on vomer and often on palatines (roof of mouth). Dorsal-fin spines flexible, usually outnumbering the segmented soft rays (numbering 7 to 37), spinous and segmented-rayed portions forming a single, continuous fin; 2 flexible spines in anal fin; pelvic fins inserted anterior to position of pectoral fins, with 1 spine not visible externally and only 2 or 3 segmented (soft) rays; all fin rays, including caudal-fin rays, unbranched (simple). Lateral line absent. Scales absent (Ref.52855).

Dorsal spines (total): 24; Analspines: 2

The white-cheeked blenny (Acanthemblemaria johnsoni) is a species of chaenopsid blenny found in coral reefs around Tobago, in the western central Atlantic ocean. The specific name honours the ichthyologist G. David Johnson Curator of the Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian Institution.