235: BLENNIIDAE (BLENNIES)
o XIII-XIV,19-21; A II,20-23; P 12-13; V 1,3; upper jaw teeth 26-34;
lower jaw teeth 13-16; lower jaw canines about twice size of other teeth; C
lyre-shaped; short, simple cirrus on nostril, none on eye or nape.
Head and sides pale or pale dusky (golden orange in life);
conspicuous black spot around and anterior to anus; front
half of D with narrow, dark margin. Attains 10 cm SL. Red
Sea and east Africa to Marquesas Ids.; known only from
Sodwana Bay in our area.
235.10 Ecsenius midas: 7.5 em SL male (drawn by S. L. Chambers).
Nalolo
235.11 Ecsenius nalolo
Smith,1959
PLATE 116
Nalolo
Ecsenius nalolo Smith, 1959: 245, Fig. 10 (Pinda, Mozambique);
Springer, 1971: 33*; Winterbottom, 1978: 48.
o XI-XIII,12-15; A II,14-17; P 12-13; V 1,3 (innermost ray difficult to
see); upper jaw teeth more than 75; lower jaw teeth 42-63; small canine
usually present posteriorly on each side of lower jaw, scarcely distinguishable from other teeth; small, simple cirrus on nostril, none on eye or nape.
Body with pale spots on dusky ground colour, dusky
stripes anteriorly, short stripe on P base; no dark blotch in
anal region. Attains 5 cm SL. Red Sea and Indian Ocean
east to Maldive and Chagos Ids.; south to Sodwana Bay.
Genus Entomacrodus Gill, 1859
Twenty-two species; 2 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Small patch of cirri, with common base, on
each side of nape; orbital tentacle with all,
or almost all, branches arising on mesial
margin; preopercular pores in pairs or
mUltiples ..................................................... E. epalzeocheilus
1 b Single cirrus on each side of nape; orbital
tentacle with branches on both mesial and
lateral margins, preopercular pores single .................... E. striatus
235.12 Entomacrodus epalzeocheilus
(Bleeker, 1859)
Fringelip rockskipper
Fraiinglip-klipspringer
Salarias epalzeocheilus Bleeker, 1859: 343 (Karangbollang, Java). Entomacrodus epalzeocheilus: Smith, 1966: 90*; Springer, 1967: 61 *.
o XIII, 14-16; A II,15-17; P 14; V 1,4; ventral margin of upper lip completely crenulate.
746
Body with about 5 dusky bands or pairs of bands, each
member of a band pair may appear as 3 separate spots;
upper lip with several dusky bands; irregular dark mark
behind eye, separated from eye by pale area greater than
eye diameter. Attains 11 cm SL. Widely distributed in IndoPacific; on east African coast, known only from 1 from
Natal.
235.12 Entomacrodus epa/zeochei/us: 11 em (Natal).
235.13 Entomacrodus striatus
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1836)
Pearly rockskipper
Perel-klipspringer
Salarias striatus Quoy & Gaimard, in Cuv. & VaL, 1836: 309 (Masson,
Reunion). Halmablennius marmoratus (non Bennett): Smith, 1961: 508,
No. 973a*. Entomacrodus striatus: Smith, 1959: 241 *; Springer, 1967: 73*;
Winterbottom, 1976: 66.
o XII-XIV,14-16; A 11,15-18; P 13-15; V 1,4; ventral margin of upper
lip completely crenulate.
Body with numerous small dark spots; upper lip uniformly dusky or with scattered spots; irregular dark mark
posterior to eye, separated from eye by pale area equal to or
less than eye diameter. Attains 9 cm SL. Western Indian
Ocean to 30 o S, eastward to central Pacific.
235.13 Entomacrodus striatus: 7.5 em male (St. Pierre Id.).
Genus Exallias Jordan & Evermann, 1905
One species.
235.14 Exallias brevis
(Kner, 1868)
PLATE 114
Leopard rockskipper
Luiperd-klipspringer
Salarias brevis Kner, 1868: 29 (Savaii, Samoa). Cirripectes leopardus:
Smith, 1955: 25*. Exallias brevis: Smith, 1959: 237*; 1961: 571, No. 965a.
o XIII-XIV,19-21; A II,20-23; P 12-13; V 1,3; upper jaw teeth 26-34;
lower jaw teeth 13-16; lower jaw canines about twice size of other teeth; C
lyre-shaped; short, simple cirrus on nostril, none on eye or nape.
Head and sides pale or pale dusky (golden orange in life);
conspicuous black spot around and anterior to anus; front
half of D with narrow, dark margin. Attains 10 cm SL. Red
Sea and east Africa to Marquesas Ids.; known only from
Sodwana Bay in our area.
235.10 Ecsenius midas: 7.5 em SL male (drawn by S. L. Chambers).
Nalolo
235.11 Ecsenius nalolo
Smith,1959
PLATE 116
Nalolo
Ecsenius nalolo Smith, 1959: 245, Fig. 10 (Pinda, Mozambique);
Springer, 1971: 33*; Winterbottom, 1978: 48.
o XI-XIII,12-15; A II,14-17; P 12-13; V 1,3 (innermost ray difficult to
see); upper jaw teeth more than 75; lower jaw teeth 42-63; small canine
usually present posteriorly on each side of lower jaw, scarcely distinguishable from other teeth; small, simple cirrus on nostril, none on eye or nape.
Body with pale spots on dusky ground colour, dusky
stripes anteriorly, short stripe on P base; no dark blotch in
anal region. Attains 5 cm SL. Red Sea and Indian Ocean
east to Maldive and Chagos Ids.; south to Sodwana Bay.
Genus Entomacrodus Gill, 1859
Twenty-two species; 2 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Small patch of cirri, with common base, on
each side of nape; orbital tentacle with all,
or almost all, branches arising on mesial
margin; preopercular pores in pairs or
mUltiples ..................................................... E. epalzeocheilus
1 b Single cirrus on each side of nape; orbital
tentacle with branches on both mesial and
lateral margins, preopercular pores single .................... E. striatus
235.12 Entomacrodus epalzeocheilus
(Bleeker, 1859)
Fringelip rockskipper
Fraiinglip-klipspringer
Salarias epalzeocheilus Bleeker, 1859: 343 (Karangbollang, Java). Entomacrodus epalzeocheilus: Smith, 1966: 90*; Springer, 1967: 61 *.
o XIII, 14-16; A II,15-17; P 14; V 1,4; ventral margin of upper lip completely crenulate.
746
Body with about 5 dusky bands or pairs of bands, each
member of a band pair may appear as 3 separate spots;
upper lip with several dusky bands; irregular dark mark
behind eye, separated from eye by pale area greater than
eye diameter. Attains 11 cm SL. Widely distributed in IndoPacific; on east African coast, known only from 1 from
Natal.
235.12 Entomacrodus epa/zeochei/us: 11 em (Natal).
235.13 Entomacrodus striatus
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1836)
Pearly rockskipper
Perel-klipspringer
Salarias striatus Quoy & Gaimard, in Cuv. & VaL, 1836: 309 (Masson,
Reunion). Halmablennius marmoratus (non Bennett): Smith, 1961: 508,
No. 973a*. Entomacrodus striatus: Smith, 1959: 241 *; Springer, 1967: 73*;
Winterbottom, 1976: 66.
o XII-XIV,14-16; A 11,15-18; P 13-15; V 1,4; ventral margin of upper
lip completely crenulate.
Body with numerous small dark spots; upper lip uniformly dusky or with scattered spots; irregular dark mark
posterior to eye, separated from eye by pale area equal to or
less than eye diameter. Attains 9 cm SL. Western Indian
Ocean to 30 o S, eastward to central Pacific.
235.13 Entomacrodus striatus: 7.5 em male (St. Pierre Id.).
Genus Exallias Jordan & Evermann, 1905
One species.
235.14 Exallias brevis
(Kner, 1868)
PLATE 114
Leopard rockskipper
Luiperd-klipspringer
Salarias brevis Kner, 1868: 29 (Savaii, Samoa). Cirripectes leopardus:
Smith, 1955: 25*. Exallias brevis: Smith, 1959: 237*; 1961: 571, No. 965a.