Molly Miller Blenny Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Small blenny reaching about 10 cm, mottled olive-brown to gray body that blends with algae-covered rock
• Prominent branched, tree-like cirrus (fleshy tentacle) above each eye, more elaborate than in most other blennies
• Blunt, rounded head with a short snout and comb-like teeth used for grazing algae off rock surfaces
• Single long, continuous dorsal fin running most of the body length, sometimes with faint dark blotches
• Scaleless, slimy-looking skin typical of combtooth blennies
• Often perches propped on its pectoral fins, watching for movement before darting into a crevice

Common look-alikes

• Redlip Blenny: shows reddish-tinged lips and a more elongated body shape than the stockier Molly Miller
• Other combtooth blennies (e.g., Rock Blenny): have simpler, less branched eye cirri and duller camouflage
• Triplefin blennies: dorsal fin is divided into three separate sections rather than one continuous fin

Where you'll see one

Molly Miller Blennies inhabit shallow rocky and rubble intertidal zones, tide pools, and jetties throughout the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, including Florida, the Caribbean, and West Africa, often within splash zones exposed briefly at low tide.