Enneapterygius abeli ( Klausewitz, 1960 )

Holleman, Wouter & Bogorodsky, Sergey V., 2012, A review of the blennioid fish family Tripterygiidae (Perciformes) in the Red Sea, with description of Enneapterygius qirmiz, and reinstatement of Enneapterygius altipinnis Clark, 1980, Zootaxa 3152, pp. 36-60 : 40-41

Enneapterygius abeli ( Klausewitz, 1960)

Figs. 2 A, 5A–C; table 1

Tripterygion abeli Klausewitz, 1960: 11 , Figs. 1–2 (Al-Ghardaqa, Egypt, Red Sea). Helcogramma abeli: Lal Mohan, 1971: 222 .

Enneapterygius abeli: Clark, 1980: 97 , Figs. 2 a, 2b, 4c, & 10; Holleman, 1986: 756, Fig. 236.2; 2005: 4–5, Fig. 2 ; Fricke, 1999: 468; Golani & Bogorodsky, 2010: 44.

Diagnosis. Dorsal fins III + XI–XIII + 9–10 (usually III + XII + 10); anal fin I, 17–18 (usually 18 rays); pectoralfin 15: usually 3, 5, 7. LL 12–14 pored scales and 20–23 (usually 22) notched scales; longitudinal scale series 31; dentary pores 3 + 1 + 3 ( Fig. 2 A). Head 3.2–3.8 in SL; eye 2.9–3.7 in head length. Nape partially scaled, abdomen without scales, single row of scales at base of caudal fin; supratemporal sensory canal crescent-shaped; supraorbital cirrus small and pointed; first dorsal fin about equal in height to second in males, lower in females.

Fresh colour. Males with semi-translucent, deep yellow body, scale margins orange-red; head, chest, and base of pectoral and pelvic fins of males with numerous melanophores (entire head becomes black during courtship); eye with alternating brown and greenish bands; first dorsal-fin membranes white, suffused with yellow and with some melanophores along margin; second dorsal-fin membranes translucent with spines yellow and orange, some small melanophores in patches along margin; third dorsal fin similar with patches of small melanophores about half-way in from margin; caudal fin pale yellow and orange on rays; anal fin lemon yellow with orange spots at base of alternate rays; pectoral-fin rays deep yellow, membranes pale yellow; pelvic fins yellow with some black proximally and at base.

Females: body translucent with scale margins orange-brown, forming irregular bars, darkest at caudal-fin base; head and nape brownish, snout and lower half of head white, dark brown stripe from upper lip to anterior margin of eye, vertical orange mark below eye, orange marks on opercle and pectoral-fin base; first dorsal fin greenish with two orange bars on first spine; second and third dorsal fins with oblique banding, colour on rays only, anal and pectoral-fin rays pale yellow, all fin membranes transparent.

Colour underwater. Males semi-translucent greenish yellow, scale margins orange-brown, head with scattered melanophores to black, eye with orange-brown and green radii, all fins transparent, spines and rays of dorsal and caudal fins translucent, rays of anal and pectoral fins pale yellow, in moderate to faintly pigmented males a brown stripe from corner of eye to upper lip; females paler than males, top of head greenish and without melanophores, brown stripe from corner of eye to upper lip, head below eye white with cluster of orange spots below eye. Both males and females with vertebral column coloured in alternating brown and white, the white often quite bright.

Key features. Low first dorsal fin, brown and green radii around eye, males with yellow body and melanophores on head to base of pectoral fins; females with yellow-green body, brown stripe on nose and orange bar below eye.

Distribution. Known from the Red Sea, where it is common in the north, the east coast of Africa to as far south as KwaZulu-Natal, the Seychelles, southern Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius, St Brandon Shoals and the Chagos Archipelago; common in some areas.

Habitat. Shallow, sheltered waters, on hard corals. E. abeli are found on the upper part of coral reefs, usually along the reef margin in depths of about 1 m, often on corals covered by low algae. Found in bays or sheltered lagoons. E. abeli attains 25 mm SL.

Material examined. Additional to that listed in Holleman 2005: SAIAB 88711 (5: 15–21 mm SL), Mangrove Bay, El Quseir (25.52°N, 34.24°E), collected S. Bogorodsky, 8 & 10 June 2008; SAIAB 88721 (18.1 mm SL), Abingdon Reef, Sudan (20.50°N, 37.25°E), depth 14 m, collected S. Bogorodsky, 15 October 2009.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of the Red Sea showing localities mentioned in the text.

FIGURE 2. Dentary pore patterns of Red Sea species of Enneapterygius: (A) E. abeli; (B) E. altipinnis; (C) E. clarkae; (D) E. destai; (E) E. obscurus; (F) E. pallidus (diagrammatic - J. T. Williams); (G) E. pusillus; (H) E. qirmiz; (I) E. ventermaculus.