Alticus saliens (Forster, 1788)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The leaping blenny (Alticus saliens), also known as the jumping blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny (family Blenniidae) in the genus Alticus. There is some uncertainty as to whether it was first described by J.R. Forster in 1788 or B.G.E. Lacepède in 1800, although Fishbase currently accredits it to Forster. It was originally described as a member of the genus Blennius. It is a tropical blenny known from the Pacific and Indian oceans, including the Red Sea, the Society Islands, the Ryukyu and Bonin Islands, Queensland, Australia; and the Mariana Islands. Leaping blennies have been recorded at a maximum water depth of 2 metres, though notably live above the water. They inhabit holes in limestone deposits in intertidal zones, and leap between holes when disturbed, earning them their common name. They are very social at mid-tide, using visual displays to warn off competitors and attract mates. Although they must remain moist to breathe, the blennies are able to breathe air, and actively avoid submersion by tide waters. Leaping blennies feed primarily off of algae.
Wikipedia contributors, Leaping blenny; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T18:58:50.055472+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Alticus saliens (Forster, 1788)
- Name authority
- (Forster, 1788)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Blenniiformes
- Family
- Blenniidae
- Genus
- Alticus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderBlenniiformes
- familyBlenniidae Rafinesque, 1810
- subfamilySalariinae Gill, 1859
- genusAlticus Lacepède, 1800
- speciesAlticus saliens (Forster, 1788)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Alticus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| leaping blennyAlticus kirkii (Günther, 1868) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus montanoi (Sauvage, 1880) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus arnoldorum (Curtiss, 1938) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus magnusi (Klausewitz, 1964) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus sertatus (Garman, 1903) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus simplicirrus Smith-Vaniz & Springer, 1971 | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus orientalis Tomiyama, 1955 | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus aldabrensis (Regan, 1912) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus andersonii (Day, 1876) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus anjouanae (Fourmanoir, 1955) | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alticus monochrus Bleeker, 1869 | BlenniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Alticus saliens (Lacepède, 1800) (Lacepède, 1800) | synonym |
| Blennius saliens Lacepède, 1800 Lacepède, 1800 | synonym |
| Blennius saliens Forster, 1788 Forster, 1788 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=277294 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:65Y4H. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.