Meiacanthus

Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Allen, Gerald R., 2011, Three new species of the fangblenny genus Meiacanthus from Indonesia, with color photographs and comments on other species (Teleostei: Blenniidae: Nemophini), Zootaxa 3046, pp. 39-58 : 56-57

Key to species of Meiacanthus with lateral body stripes

1a. Dentary gland ventrally positioned and encapsulated in dentary; mandibular and posttemporal canal series each with 2 pores; lateral line absent (subgenus Allomeiacanthus ).............................................................. 2

1b. Dentary gland dorsolaterally positioned and not encapsulated in dentary; mandibular and posttemporal canal series each with 3 pores; short lateral line present........................................................................... 3

2a. Dark mid-lateral stripe forked at front of pectoral fin, with dorsal arm extending through eye and ventral arm extending to gape; dark lateral stripe continuous posteriorly and caudal peduncle not conspicuously colored in life (western and central Pacific)............................................................. Meiacanthus ditrema Smith-Vaniz, 1976

2b. Dark lateral stripe not forked at front of pectoral fin; dark lateral stripe typically interrupted near beginning of bright orangeyellow caudal peduncle and replaced by an elongate black spot (northeastern Indian Ocean)............................................................................ Meiacanthus urostigma Smith-Vaniz, Satapoomin & Allen, 2001

3a. Dorsal-fin spines 6–10 (rarely 6); segmented dorsal-fin rays 20–24; supratemporal canal typically with 2 median pores, 3 of 205 specimens with a single pore; dentary gland supported by dentary and anguloarticular bones and held in place laterally by flange of dentary; infraorbital bones 4 (subgenus Holomeiacanthus ) (western and central Pacific)............................................................................................... Meiacanthus anema (Bleeker, 1852)

3b. Dorsal-fin spines 3–6 (rarely 6); segmented dorsal-fin rays 23–28; mid-point of supratemporal canal typically ending in a single pore; dentary gland supported solely by dentary bone; infraorbital bones 3 (subgenus Meiacanthus )................ 4

4a. Belly and underside of head dark or strongly vermiculated; dark body stripes partially or completely coalesced ( Japan and Ryukyu Is.)......................................................... Meiacanthus kamoharai Tomiyama, 1956

4b. Belly and underside of head not dark or strongly vermiculated; dark body stripes distinct........................... 5

5a. Adults with one dark lateral stripe in addition to one which may or may not be present at dorsal body contour........... 6

5b. Adults with two dark lateral stripes in addition to one at dorsal body contour...................................... 10

6a. Dark lateral stripe extends at least slightly onto dorsal part of pectoral-fin base; dark stripe along dorsal body contour, if present, not extending onto caudal peduncle and caudal-fin base................................................... 7

6b. Dark lateral stripe does not extend onto dorsal part of pectoral-fin base; dark stripe along dorsal body contour extending onto caudal peduncle and caudal-fin base....................................................................... 8

7a. Dark lateral stripe extends well onto dorsal part of pectoral-fin base; pectoral-fin rays usually 13; in life, body coloration above dark mid-lateral stripe pale gray; adult males with inner caudal-fin rays elongated and interradial membranes deeply incised ( Papua New Guinea and New Britain)..................................... Meiacanthus vittatus Smith-Vaniz, 1987

7b. Dark lateral stripe extends very slightly onto dorsal part of pectoral-fin base; pectoral-fin rays usually 15 or 16; in life, body coloration above mid-lateral stripe bright yellow; adult males with inner caudal-fin rays not elongated and interradial membranes not deeply incised ( Australia)........................................ Meiacanthus luteus Smith-Vaniz, 1987

8a. Dark lateral stripe not centered as it extends onto caudal fin, at most only dorsal margin of stripe aligned with center of fin; dorsal fin not conspicuously bicolored; in life, body golden yellow ventrally (Sabah, northeastern Kalimantan, and Philippine Is.)............................................................... Meiacanthus geminatus Smith-Vaniz, 1976

8b. Dark lateral stripe approximately centered as it extends onto caudal fin; dorsal fin conspicuously bicolored, distal half of fin pale and basal half abruptly dark brown; in life, body white ventrally............................................ 9

9a. Dark lateral stripe terminating near caudal-fin base and its end bluntly rounded (Komodo I.)................................................................................................... Meiacanthus abruptus , new species

9b. Dark lateral stripe tapered as it extends onto caudal fin, and its end distinctly pointed (Sulawesi and Banggai Is.)................................................................................ Meiacanthus vicinus Smith-Vaniz, 1987

10a. Caudal fin with middle rays distinctly spotted and dorsal and ventral margins of fin very dark or spotted; dark stripes on body interrupted posteriorly and replaced by conspicuous dark spots (western and central Pacific).......................................................................................... Meiacanthus grammistes (Valenciennes, 1836)

10b. Caudal fin with middle rays unspotted and dorsal and ventral margins of fin unspotted and usually pale; dark stripes on sides clearly defined posteriorly (except in M. naevius , see couplet 13).............................................. 11

11a. Dorsal-fin base with series of prominent dark blotches (West Papua)................. Meiacanthus erdmanni , new species

11b. Dorsal-fin base without a series of dark blotches.......................................................... 12

12a. Chin, including lower lip, completely dark; anal-fin base with narrow dark stripe; in life, caudal fin yellow ( Bismarck Archipelago and Helen Reef)............................................... Meiacanthus limbatus Smith-Vaniz, 1987

12b. Chin, including lower lip, pale or only narrowly dusky; anal-fin base with or without narrow dark stripe; in life, caudal fin hyaline (except yellow in M. lineatus )....................................................................... 13

13a. Caudal peduncle pale except for elongate basicaudal spot; pectoral-fin rays 12 or 13 (western Australia, Rowley Shoals)........................................................................ Meiacanthus naevius Smith-Vaniz, 1987

13b. Caudal peduncle typically with two dark stripes that extend at least to caudal-fin base pectoral-fin rays usually 14–16 (except 12 or 13 in M. crinitus )................................................................................ 14

14a. Pectoral-fin rays 12 or 13; dark stripes on caudal peduncle or caudal-fin base terminating as thin lines, the lower stripe typically ending as a small separated spot; anal-fin base without a dark stripe (Sulawesi, Halmahera, Irian Jaya and Solomon Is.)..................................................................... Meiacanthus crinitus Smith-Vaniz, 1987

14b. Pectoral-fin rays 14–16 (exceptionally 13); dark stripes on caudal peduncle or caudal fin base not terminating as thin lines and lower stripe not ending as a small separated spot; anal-fin base with or without a dark stripe, although usually present.... 15

15a. Dark stripe on snout that extends through eye separated from margin of upper lip by wide pale area approximately equal to or wider than width of stripe; in life, pale area between dark body stripes yellow (eastern Australia).............................................................................................. Meiacanthus lineatus (DeVis, 1884)

15b. Dark stripe on snout that extends through eye separated from margin of upper lip by pale area distinctly narrower than width of stripe; in life, pale area between dark body stripes white to pale yellow.......................................... 16

16a. Anal fin of adults with a dark basal stripe; inner rays of caudal fin distinctly elongated at least in Flores adult males (Sabah, Flores I. and Bali)................................................................... Meiacanthus cf. abditus

16b. Anal fin of adults without a dark basal stripe; inner rays of caudal fin not distinctly elongated in adult males............ 17

17a. Dark stripe along dorsal contour of body distinctly encroaching onto base of dorsal fin; in life, dorsal fin of adults with blueviolet stripe (Alor Strait and Bali)......................................... Meiacanthus cyanopterus , new species

17b. Dark stripe along dorsal contour of body not encroaching onto base of dorsal fin; in life, dorsal fin presumably without a blueviolet stripe (Sulu Archipelago).......................................... Meiacanthus abditus Smith-Vaniz, 1987