food from the substrate. They feed on sea anemones and on other invertebrates such as prawns and other crustaceans. They are crepuscular, being active mainly at dawn and at dusk. Parasites As most fish, tompot blennies harbour several species of parasites, including the capillariid Nematode Pseudocapillaria bainae. This parasite has been found in the intestine of specimens caught off Italy and Montenegro. Its biology is unknown. Breeding Tompot blennies spawn in March to May the males mate with a number of females and guards their eggs. The eggs are demersal and like those of all blennies they stick to the substrate by a filamentous adhesive patch. The male guards the eggs until the larvae hatch, usually about a month after laying. The males defend their territories from other males and often fight each other, frequently receiving injuries. When breeding the males develop pale cauliflower like glands on their anal fins which are believed to play a role in attracting females and in cleaning the eggs. Name The specific name was first used by Francis Willughby in 1688 after he had observed these blennies in Venice and heard them called gatto ruggine which he translated as "rusty cat" or "rust colour", although he was afraid that he did not fully understand the name. However the actual name is or gotto rosula which is a local name for blennies in general along the Adriatic coast of Italy and which is a diminutive of gotto roso meaning "thick throat". Miscellany In the mid-1990s there was a minor acoustic indie-folk band called Tompot Blenny, who released a few E.P.s in the 1990s and a full album called Found under Blankets in 2000. References External links tompot blenny Fish of the Mediterranean Sea Fish of the Black Sea Fish of the Adriatic Sea tompot blenny Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus