| Family: |
Tripterygiidae (Triplefin blennies), subfamily: Tripterygiinae |
| Max. size: |
2.35 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 9 m |
| Distribution: |
Weatern Atlantic: the Caribbean, from the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands (USA), Antigua, as well as in the western Caribbean: at Yucatán, Mexico (as a larva), Honduras, Belize, and the offshore islands of Providencia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 15-15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 15-15. This species is distinguished by the following characters: orbital cirrus is dark and narrow, more than twice longer than wide, ending in a single point (rarely bifid); without scales on upper preopercle immediately behind eye, below sensory canal (one individual with one on one side); without dark spots along pored lateral-line; iris has 3 red, spoke-like bands at about 8, 10, and 1 o’clock with wide interspaces (as wide or wider than red spokes) and a red rear lower quadrant (when fresh); short snout with a reddish band from orbit across front half of upper and lower jaws, pale in preserved fish with only patches (not a complete band) of fine melanophores; presence of a short reddish bar extending from lower rim of orbit, when preserved only a short dark bar, not reaching past corner of jaw; usually a white patch immediately behind suborbital bar, when preserved only a scattering of fine melanophores; preopercle and opercle pale, except for reddish and dark patch at orbital rim at 5 o’clock and a bar along posterior margin of preopercle; rear body not red; anal fin barred, 6 to 8 dark patches corresponding to each body bar and mid-interspace; caudal-peduncle dark bar typically about square (same width throughout with corners squared) or slightly wider than high, extending onto caudal-fin ray insertions; caudal fin mostly unmarked, almost clear on preserved specimens, with faint melanin outlining ray shafts (Ref. 116142). Characters shared with Enneanectes jordani are the following: D III+XII+7; A II,15; pectoral-fin rays 15; short first dorsal fin when adpressed not reaching second-spine base of second dorsal fin (often not reaching fin origin); 13 modal pored lateral-line scales and about 19 or 20 scales in notched midline row; scaled belly and pectoral-fin base with two scales above rear of pored lateral-line, the upper scale much smaller [both characters of scaled-belly subgroup]; body bars 5 with the last body bar on caudal peduncle much darker; anterior orbital flange with fine spines (Ref. 116142). |
| Biology: |
|
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 19 March 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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