Meiacanthus bundoon, commonly known as the Bundoon blenny or Bundoon fangblenny, is a species of combtooth blenny in the family Blenniidae. It was first described by Smith-Vaniz in 1976.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Actinopterygii
- Order: Blenniiformes
- Family: Blenniidae
- Genus: Meiacanthus
- Species: M. bundoon
Distribution and Habitat This species is native to the South Pacific Ocean, specifically recorded from Fiji and Tonga. It inhabits shallow rocky reefs and drop-offs at depths ranging from 3 to 70 meters, where it is typically found swimming just above the bottom among rocks and branching corals.
Description Meiacanthus bundoon grows to a maximum total length of approximately 8–9.5 cm (3.1–3.7 in). It has an elongated body with a dark olive coloration and a distinctive wedge-shaped orange-yellow stripe running along the sides. The cheeks and opercle (gill cover) are greenish. The caudal fin is lunate (forked) with black lobes and a transparent whitish center. Like other members of the genus Meiacanthus (from Greek meaning "lesser thorn"), it possesses small fangs and is technically venomous, though not considered dangerous to humans.
Conservation Status The species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment by Williams, J.T., 2014).
Aquarium Keeping The Bundoon blenny is popular in the marine aquarium trade. It is considered a peaceful species that does well in established saltwater aquariums with ample rock work for perching, hiding, and grazing. It is closely related and similar in appearance to the Tongan green blenny (Meiacanthus tongaensis).
