Paraplesiops bleekeri

Paraplesiops bleekeri, commonly known as the eastern blue devil, blue-tipped long-fin or Bleeker's blue devil fish, is a species of fish in the family Plesiopidae. This colourful, secretive fish is endemic to Australia, where it is a protected species.

Paraplesiops bleekeri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Blenniiformes
Family:	Plesiopidae
Genus:	Paraplesiops
Species:	P. bleekeri
Binomial name
Paraplesiops bleekeri (Günther, 1861)[1][2][3]
Synonyms
Plesiops bleekeri Günther, 1861[3]

Description

This species grows to 40 cm, and is recognizable by blue and white bands on the body, blue spots on the head, and blue dorsal and anal fins.^[4] It also has a yellow base, pectoral, and caudal fins. The pelvic, posterior dorsal, and anal fins are all elongated.^[5][6]

This species is a close relative of the southern blue devil (Paraplesiops meleagris), which lives in the colder southern Australian waters.^[1]

Distribution

The fish is found in coastal waters of eastern Australia between the Gold Coast of southern Queensland and Montague Island,^[1] most commonly between Sydney and Ulladulla.^[5]

Behaviour

This species is shy and secretive. Males have appeared to defend territories in caves or overhangs, where it remains to attract females and drive males away.^[5] They are most active at night.

Habitat

Paraplesiops bleekeri are benthic coastal reef inhabitants.^[4] They live inside caves, under ledges and overhangs in reefs and estuaries.^[4][7] They were considered to inhabit waters ranging from 3 to 30 metres in depth,^[1][5] and are most often encountered in shallow waters less than 20 metres, however, recent observations suggest they also inhabit offshore reefs down to at least 50 metres.^[4]

Diet

This fish is known to eat brittle stars.

Conservation status

This species is protected under the laws of New South Wales Fisheries, in particular, the Fisheries Management Act 1994.^[4] It is illegal to collect or possess them without a permit.^[1][5]

They are protected because of their low abundance, and their desirability in the marine aquarium industry.^[4]

Efforts to protect them have included the conservation and protection of benthic estuarine habitats, as well as rocky offshore reef areas where they breed. Some protected habitats are:

• Solitary Islands Marine Park
• Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park
• Jervis Bay Marine Park
• Long Reef Aquatic Reserve
• Bushrangers Bay Aquatic Reserve^[6]

Name

The specific name honours the Dutch ichthyologist and physician Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878) who named two congeners of this species.^[8]