taxonID	type	description	language	source
03A7C401FFA2FFAAFF131E87FEDEC92C.taxon	vernacular_names	(Ē ḃAḆDz)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA2FFAAFF131E87FEDEC92C.taxon	description	(Fig. 1 a & Fig. 2 a)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA2FFAAFF131E87FEDEC92C.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. NTOUP- 2025 - 0529 - 14, 45.9 mm SL, northeast side of Taiping Island, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (10 ° 22 ’ 50.4 ” N, 114 ° 22 ’ 2.58 ” E), 0 – 0.5 m depth, 29 May 2025, clove oil combined with hand net, coll. by, Yan-Cheng Yang & Wei-Hong Xu.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA2FFAAFF131E87FEDEC92C.taxon	description	Description. Dorsal-fin rays XIII, 19; anal-fin rays II, 19; pectoral-fin rays 14; pelvic-fin rays I, 4; segment caudal-fin rays 6 + 5 (branched 5 + 4); vertebrae 12 + 24; no nuchal cirri; supraorbital cirri 1 (both side distally divided into four branches); nasal cirri 3 (4 in left side); lateral line tubes 28 (both side). Morphometrics are presented in Table 1. The body is elongate, slightly compressed posteriorly, and deepest at the base of the pectoral fin. The snout is slightly elevated, and the dorsal profile from the anterior margin of the eye to the snout is nearly vertical, then gently rising toward the nape before gradually descending to the caudal peduncle. The ventral profile is slightly convex from the lower jaw tip to the origin of the pelvic fin, then nearly straight and parallel to the body axis toward the anus, followed by a slight rise along the anal-fin base and becoming nearly straight again prior to the caudal peduncle. The anus is located slightly anterior to the mid-body. The head is rounded and widest at the mid-cheek region. The eye is moderately sized and positioned anterodorsally. The nuchal cirri occur in two separated clusters, divided at the mid-nape. The cephalic sensory pore system is complex. The posterior portion of the dorsal-fin rays is separated from the fin base, and the posteriormost fin membrane does not attach to the caudal peduncle. The anal-fin base extends from directly below the 13 th dorsal-fin spine to a point directly below the posterior end of the dorsal-fin base; the posteriormost anal-fin ray is split from the base. The caudal fin is arcuate. The pectoral-fin origin is located below the first dorsal-fin spine, and the ventralmost pectoral-fin base aligns below the second dorsal-fin spine; the longest ray extends anterior to the anus, and the posterior margin is rounded. The pelvic-fin origin lies anterior to the vertical line passing through the nuchal cirri, and the fin length reaches to the base of the fourth dorsal-fin spine. The body is overall pale yellow, with orange spots scattered across the anterior portion and near the second dorsal-fin base, and white spots predominating on the posterior half. The head bears three pairs of longitudinal orange and white bands, and the eye shows alternating orange and white striping. The first and second dorsal fins (including membranes) are densely covered with orange spots, with their distal tips appearing white. The anal fin is semi-translucent white. The pectoral-fin base bears orange spots, with the remaining part semi-translucent white; the pelvic fin fades from white basally to semi-translucent distally. The caudal fin exhibits irregular semi-translucent orange-red and white coloration on both rays and membranes.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA2FFAAFF131E87FEDEC92C.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat. The specimen was collected from a tidepool within a rocky intertidal zone at a depth of approximately 0.1 – 0.3 m.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA1FFAAFF131D83FEDECFDD.taxon	vernacular_names	(圍DZA ḆDz)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA1FFAAFF131D83FEDECFDD.taxon	description	(Fig. 1 b & Fig. 2 b)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA1FFAAFF131D83FEDECFDD.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. NTOUP- 2025 - 0611 - 07, 89.7 mm SL, northern side of Taiping Island, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (10 ° 22 ’ 45.92 ” N, 114 ° 21 ’ 54.98 ” E), 0 – 0.5 m depth, 11 June 2025, clove oil combined with hand net, coll. by Yan-Cheng Yang & Wei-Hong Xu.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA1FFAAFF131D83FEDECFDD.taxon	description	Description. Dorsal-fin rays XIII, 20; anal-fin rays II, 21; pectoral-fin rays 14; pelvic-fin rays I, 4; segment caudal-fin rays 6 + 5 (branched 5 + 4); vertebrae 10 + 27; no nuchal cirri; supraorbital cirri 1 (both side); nasal cirri 7 (both side); lateral line tubes 10 (both side). Morphometric data are provided in Table 1. The body is elongate, slightly compressed posteriorly, and deepest at the pectoral-fin base. The dorsal profile from the anterior margin of the eye to the snout is nearly vertical, then gently rises toward the first dorsal-fin origin before gradually descending and slightly arching again posteriorly toward the caudal peduncle. The ventral profile is weakly convex from the tip of the lower jaw to the abdominal region, then nearly straight and parallel to the body axis toward the anus, slightly rising along the anal-fin base, and becoming nearly straight again anterior to the caudal peduncle. The anus is located slightly anterior to mid-body. The head is bluntly rounded and widest at the mid-cheek region. The eye is moderately sized and situated anterodorsally. The nuchal cirri occur in two separated clusters at the middle of the nape. The cephalic sensory pore system is complex. The posterior dorsal-fin rays are separated from the fin base, and the posteriormost fin membrane does not attach to the caudal peduncle. The anal-fin base extends from directly below the 12 th dorsal-fin spine to a point below the posteriormost part of the dorsal-fin base, and the posteriormost anal-fin ray is split from its base. The caudal fin is arcuate. The pectoral-fin origin lies below the first dorsal-fin spine, and the ventralmost pectoral-fin base aligns below the second dorsal-fin spine; the longest ray reaches the abdominal region anterior to the anus, and the posterior margin is rounded. The pelvic-fin origin is positioned anterior to the vertical level of the nuchal cirri, and the fin reaches to a point below the third dorsal-fin spine base. The body exhibits alternating dark-brown and light-brown coloration. Three elongated white spots are present near the dorsal-fin base, and five occur near the anal-fin base. The head, particularly around the eyes, has alternating orange and white stripes, while the ventral snout region bears orange spots; the eyes display alternating orange-red and white stripes. The first and second dorsal fins contain sparse orange spots, with red-tipped distal margins. The anal fin gradually transitions from white basally to semi-translucent distally. The pectoral-fin base bears orange spots, while the remaining portion is semi-translucent white. The pelvic fin is white. The caudal-fin rays are gray, with the lower portion of the fin membrane orange-yellow and the remaining area transparent.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA1FFAAFF131D83FEDECFDD.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat. The specimen was collected from a tidepool within a rocky intertidal zone, at a depth of approximately 0.2 – 0.3 m.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFABFF131CA2FA5DCE12.taxon	vernacular_names	(DAEÑ ṞDz)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFABFF131CA2FA5DCE12.taxon	description	(Fig. 1 c & Fig. 2 c)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFABFF131CA2FA5DCE12.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. NTOUP- 2025 - 0523 - 17, 42.9 mm SL, northern side of Taiping Island, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (10 ° 22 ’ 57.1 ” N, 114 ° 22 ’ 4.7 ” E), 10 – 13 m depth, 23 May 2025, clove oil combined with hand net, coll. by Yan-Cheng Yang & Wei-Hong Xu.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFABFF131CA2FA5DCE12.taxon	description	Description. Dorsal-fin rays XI, 14; anal-fin rays II, 14; pectoral-fin rays 16; pelvic-fin rays I, 4; segment caudal-fin rays 6 + 5 (branched 4 + 4); vertebrae 9 + 18; nuchal cirri 17 (both side); supraorbital cirri 5 (both side); nasal cirri 4 (5 in right side); lateral line tubes 16 (both side). Morphometric data are presented in Table 1. The body is slightly elongate, moderately compressed posteriorly, and deepest at the base of the pectoral fin. The snout is slightly elevated, and except for a slight protrusion at the base of the nasal cirri, the dorsal profile from the anterior margin of the eye to the snout is nearly vertical. Posteriorly, the profile rises gently toward the nape, then gradually descends to the caudal peduncle. The ventral profile is slightly convex from the lower jaw tip to the pelvic-fin origin, becomes gently convex again at the abdominal region, and thereafter remains nearly straight and parallel to the body axis toward the anus, rising slightly along the anal-fin base and remaining nearly straight before reaching the caudal peduncle. The anus is located slightly anterior to mid-body. The head is bluntly rounded and widest at the mid-cheek region. The eye is moderately sized and positioned anterodorsally on the head. The nuchal cirri are arranged in two separated clusters at the middle of the nape. A complex cephalic sensory pore system is present. The posterior portion of the dorsal-fin rays is separated from the fin base, and the posteriormost membrane does not attach to the caudal peduncle. The anal-fin base extends from a point directly below the 10 th dorsal-fin spine to the vertical below the posterior end of the dorsal-fin base, and the posteriormost anal-fin ray is split from its base. The caudal fin is arcuate. The pectoral-fin origin lies below the first to second dorsal-fin spines, with the ventralmost pectoral-fin base aligned below the second dorsal-fin spine; the longest ray reaches the level of the anus, and the posterior margin is rounded. The pelvic-fin origin is positioned anterior to the vertical line of the nuchal cirri and reaches to the base of the third dorsal-fin spine. The general body coloration is dark brown, with irregular orange blotches near the head region. The head is light brown with several orange stripes, and the iris displays alternating orange-red and white stripes. The first dorsal fin (including the membrane) is orange at both the base and distal margin, with a single white longitudinal stripe medially. The second dorsal fin is light brown with a whitish semi-transparent membrane. The anal fin is grayish and semi-transparent. The pectoral fin (including the membrane) is grayish semi-transparent with a black distal tip. The pelvic fin is white, with the distal tip orange. The caudal fin is overall brown, becoming lighter distally, and the fin membrane is whitish and semi-transparent.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFABFF131CA2FA5DCE12.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat. The specimen was collected from a rocky intertidal tidepool at a depth of approximately 0.1 – 0.2 m.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFACFF131A99FA5DCE56.taxon	vernacular_names	(IJK ḆDz)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFACFF131A99FA5DCE56.taxon	description	(Fig. 1 d & Fig. 2 d)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFACFF131A99FA5DCE56.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. NTOUP- 2025 - 0520 - 10, 83.4 mm SL, northern side of Taiping Island, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (10 ° 22 ’ 57.1 ” N, 114 ° 22 ’ 4.7 ” E), 8 – 13 m depth, 20 May 2025, clove oil combined with hand net, coll. by Yan-Cheng Yang & Wei-Hong Xu.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFACFF131A99FA5DCE56.taxon	description	Description. Dorsal-fin rays XIII, 21; anal-fin rays II, 22; pectoral-fin rays 14; pelvic-fin rays I, 4; segment caudal-fin rays 6 + 5 (branched 5 + 4); vertebrae 11 + 25; no nuchal cirri; supraorbital cirri 1 (both side); no nasal cirri; lateral line tubes 19 (both side). Morphometric data are presented in Table 1. The body is elongate, moderately compressed posteriorly, and deepest at the base of the pectoral fin. The dorsal profile from the anterior margin of the eye to the snout is gently rounded, then rises slightly toward the nape and the origin of the first dorsal fin, gradually descending toward the caudal peduncle, and slightly arching posteriorly. The ventral profile is slightly convex from the tip of the lower jaw to the pelvic-fin origin, and thereafter nearly straight and parallel to the body axis toward the anus, rising slightly along the anal-fin base and gently arching again before reaching the caudal peduncle. The anus is located slightly anterior to mid-body. The head is bluntly rounded and widest across the mid-cheek region; the eye is moderately sized and positioned anterodorsally. The nuchal cirri are arranged in two separated clusters at the midpoint of the nape. A complex cephalic sensory pore system is present. The posterior dorsal-fin rays are separated from the fin base, and the posteriormost membrane does not attach to the caudal peduncle. The anal-fin base extends from a point below the 12 th dorsal-fin spine to a point below the posterior end of the dorsal-fin base, and the posteriormost anal-fin ray is split from its base. The caudal fin is arcuate. The pectoral-fin origin lies below the first dorsal-fin spine, and the ventralmost pectoral-fin base is positioned below the second dorsal-fin spine; the longest ray reaches the level of the second anal-fin spine, and the posterior fin margin is rounded. The pelvic-fin origin is anterior to the vertical level of the nuchal cirri, and the fin reaches to the level below the third dorsal-fin spine. The general body coloration consists of alternating grayish white and light brown. The head bears several irregular black spots and streaks, and faint light brown stripes are present around the eyes, which appear whitish. The first and second dorsal fins display alternating grayish white and light brown bands. The anal fin is white with several black spots. The pectoral fin is semi-transparent white with several semi-transparent black spots. The pelvic fin is white. The caudal-fin rays are semi-transparent white, while the membrane is semi-transparent black with a single longitudinal white stripe medially.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA0FFACFF131A99FA5DCE56.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat. The specimen was collected from a rocky intertidal tidepool at a depth of approximately 0.2 – 0.3 m.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA7FFADFF131A45FA5DCCA0.taxon	vernacular_names	(OiȒ ḆDz)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA7FFADFF131A45FA5DCCA0.taxon	description	(Fig 1 e. & Fig. 2 e)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA7FFADFF131A45FA5DCCA0.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. NTOUP- 2025 - 0611 - 08, 89.5 mm SL, northern side of Taiping Island, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (10 ° 22 ’ 45.92 ” N, 114 ° 21 ’ 54.98 ” E), 0 – 0.5 m depth, 11 June 2025, clove oil combined with hand net, coll. by Yan-Cheng Yang & Wei-Hong Xu.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA7FFADFF131A45FA5DCCA0.taxon	description	Description. Dorsal-fin rays XII, 23; anal-fin rays II, 23; pectoral-fin rays 13; pelvic-fin rays I, 4; segment caudal-fin rays 6 + 5 (no branched); vertebrae 11 + 28; no nuchal cirri; supraorbital cirri 1 (single supraorbital cirrus present on each side, the right one extending into five branches); nasal cirri 5 (both side); lateral line tubes 14 (both side). Morphometric data are presented in Table 1. The body is elongate, moderately compressed posteriorly, and deepest at the base of the pectoral fin. The dorsal profile from the anterior margin of the eye to the snout is slightly concave, then gently rising posteriorly toward the nape and the origin of the first dorsal fin, gradually descending toward the caudal peduncle, and slightly arching again near its posterior end. The ventral profile is slightly convex from the tip of the lower jaw to the origin of the pelvic fin, then slightly convex again at the abdominal region, and thereafter nearly straight and parallel to the body axis toward the anus, slightly rising along the anal-fin base, and nearly straight again before reaching the posterior part of the caudal peduncle. The anus is located slightly anterior to mid-body. The head is bluntly rounded and widest at the mid-cheek region. The eye is moderately sized and positioned anterodorsally on the head. The nuchal cirri are arranged in two separated clusters at the midpoint of the nape. A complex cephalic sensory pore system is present. The posterior dorsal-fin rays are separated from the fin base, and the posteriormost membrane is not attached to the caudal peduncle. The anal-fin base extends from a point directly below the 11 th dorsal-fin spine to a point below the posterior end of the dorsal-fin base; the posteriormost anal-fin ray is split from its base. The caudal fin is arcuate. The pectoral-fin origin is located below the second dorsal-fin spine, and the ventralmost pectoral-fin base is positioned below the third dorsal-fin spine; the longest ray reaches a point anterior to the anus, and the posterior margin is rounded. The pelvic-fin origin is positioned anterior to the vertical level of the nuchal cirri, and the fin reaches to a level below the base of the third dorsal-fin spine. The general body coloration is dark gray, with several black longitudinal streaks extending from the posterior margin of the pectoral fin to the caudal peduncle. The head is grayish black. The iris is bicolored, with the upper half brownish red and the lower half grayish white. The first dorsal fin (including membrane) is gray; the second dorsal fin (including membrane) is also gray, but with black longitudinal streaks distally. The pectoral fin is grayish and semi-transparent. The pelvic fin is grayish white. The caudal fin is grayish red, with several black spots at its base.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA7FFADFF131A45FA5DCCA0.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat. The specimen was collected from a rocky intertidal tidepool at a depth of approximately 0.1 – 0.4 m.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA6FFAFFF13190FFA83CF11.taxon	vernacular_names	(DZȒ 唇ÊDz)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA6FFAFFF13190FFA83CF11.taxon	description	(Fig. 1 f & Fig. 2 f)	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA6FFAFFF13190FFA83CF11.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. NTOUP- 2025 - 0604 - 13, 28.9 mm SL, southeast side of Taiping Island, Cijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (10 ° 22 ’ 36.17 ” N, 114 ° 22 ’ 12.02 ” E), 0 – 0.5 m depth, 4 June 2025, clove oil combined with hand net, coll. by Yan-Cheng Yang & Wei-Hong Xu.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA6FFAFFF13190FFA83CF11.taxon	description	Description. Dorsal-fin rays XII, 20; anal-fin rays II, 20; pectoral-fin rays 14; pelvic-fin rays I, 4; segment caudal-fin rays 6 + 5 (no branched); vertebrae 13 + 22; no nuchal cirri; supraorbital cirri 3 (both side); nasal cirri 1 (both side); lateral line tubes 12 (both side). Morphometric data are presented in Table 1. The body is slightly elongate, moderately compressed posteriorly, and deepest at the base of the pectoral fin. The dorsal profile from the anterior margin of the eye to the snout is gently rounded and nearly vertical in this region, then gradually slopes downward toward the caudal peduncle, with a slight posterior arch near the caudal peduncle. The ventral profile is slightly convex from the tip of the lower jaw to the origin of the pelvic fin, and thereafter remains nearly straight and parallel to the body axis toward the anus, slightly rising along the anal-fin base to the caudal peduncle. The anus is located slightly anterior to mid-body. The head is bluntly rounded and widest across the mid-cheek region. The eye is moderately sized and positioned anterodorsally. The nuchal cirri are arranged in two separated clusters at the midpoint of the nape. A complex cephalic sensory pore system is present. The posterior dorsal-fin rays are separated from the fin base, and the posteriormost fin membrane does not attach to the caudal peduncle. The anal-fin base extends from a point directly below the 12 th dorsal-fin spine to a point below the posterior end of the dorsal-fin base, and the posteriormost anal-fin ray is split from its base. The caudal fin is arcuate. The pectoral-fin origin is located below a vertical line between the second and third dorsal-fin spines, and the ventralmost pectoral-fin base is positioned below the third dorsal-fin spine; the longest ray reaches to the level below the second dorsal-fin spine, and the posterior margin is rounded. The pelvic-fin origin is positioned anterior to the vertical level of the nuchal cirri, and the fin reaches to a level below the base of the fifth dorsal-fin spine. The general body coloration consists of white and dark-brown spots of various sizes, with larger spots near the head and smaller ones toward the caudal peduncle. The head is covered with similarly variable white and dark-brown spots, and the anterior tip of the upper jaw is white. The iris displays alternating rings of reddish brown and white. The first and second dorsal fins (including membranes) possess dense white and dark-brown spots of various sizes. The anal fin (including membrane) is brown at the base and grayish-white distally. The pectoral-fin base has white and dark-brown spots, whereas the remainder of the fin rays and membrane are semi-transparent white. The pelvic fin is black and white. The caudal-fin rays are semi-transparent white, and the fin membrane is transparent.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
03A7C401FFA6FFAFFF13190FFA83CF11.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat. The specimen was collected from a sandy seagrass bed at a depth of approximately 0.1 – 0.3 m.	en	Zhao, Yu-Jie, Shen, Kang-Ning, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chen, I-Shiung (2025): New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 127-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.16
