D XII,12-13; A II,14; PIS; V 1,4. No canines in lower jaw; no teeth on
vomer. Nape cirri in a transverse comb narrowly interrupted at dorsal
midline; anterior LL with numerous dorsal and ventral branches terminating in pores.
Body, head and fins covered with numerous dark spots,
sometimes arranged in clusters on body. Attains 12 cm SL.
Red Sea to central Pacific; south to Sodwana Bay.
Genus Hirculops Smith, 1959
One species.
235.15 Hirculaps camifer
(ROppell,1830)
PLATE 114
Highbrow rockskipper
Geleerde klipspringer
Blennius comifer Ruppell, 1830: 112 (Djedda, Red Sea) . Hirculops cornifer comifer: Smith , 1959: 247. Hirculops comifer menos Smith, 1959:
247* (Mozambique Id .); 1961: 571 , No. 976a.
D XII,18-21; A II,20-23 ; P 14; V 1,3. Long ribbon-like cirrus on eye;
short simple cirrus on nape ; upper jaw teeth 32-34 ; lower jaw teeth 20-26;
1 or 2 small canine teeth posteriorly on each side of lower jaw; vomer with
teeth .
Dusky or dark spot between membranes of 1st 2 D
spines; P spotted; A spotted in females, uniformly dusky in
males; body variously banded and spotted; 2 dusky spots on
breast anterior to V. Attains 6 cm SL. Red Sea and Indian
Ocean, south to Pondoland .
235.15 Hirculops eornifer: 7 em male paratype of H. e. menos (Kenya).
Genus Istiblennius Whitley, 1943
Numerous species; 7 in our area; nasal tentacle branched.
V 1,3 except I. flaviumbrinus which has V 1,3-4. This genus
is greatly in need of revision; several of the specific names
used here are probably incorrectly applied.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Orbital tentacle branched ............................. ..... ... ... ....... .... 2
Ib Orbital tentacle simple ... , ...... ................ .. ..... ................ ... .. .. 3
2a Segmented Drays 17-19; ventral margin of
upper lip crenulate; V 1,3 or 1,4 ........ ........ ......... I. flaviumbrinus
2b Segmented Drays 19-22; margin of upper lip
smooth; V 1,3 .................................................... I. dussumieri
235: BLENNIIDAE (BLENNIES)
3a Anterior LL with numerous vertical pairs of
pores; no fleshy crest on top of head of either
sex ............................................ ............ .... ....... I. gibbifrons
3b Anterior LL with no vertical pairs of pore~
fleshy crest present or absent on top of head..... .. .... .. .. .... ......... 4
4a No cirrus present on nape ...... .... .................. .......... .. ........... 5
4b Simple cirrus present on each side of nape ........ .......... .. ...... .... 6
5a Ventral margin of upper lip smooth; small
canine tooth present at rear of lower jaw
(difficult to see: requires forcing mouth open);
females with several fine , dark stripes,
terminating as dashes, on body ........ ............ ......... I. andamensis
5b Ventral margin of upper lip crenulate; no canines
in lower jaw; females densely covered with fine ,
dark specks ............ ... ........ ... ...... .. ..... ...... .. .. ...... .. I. impudens
6a Ventral margin of upper lip smooth; no canine
posteriorly in lower jaw ; well-developed crest on
top of head of males . . . . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. l. edentulus
6b Ventral margin of upper lip crenulate; canine
tooth at rear of lower jaw (difficult to see:
requires forcing mouth open); no fleshy crest
on head (a low ridge occasionally present
in males) .. .... .... .. .. .... ...... .. .. ......................... I. periophthalmus
235.16 Istiblennius andamensis
(Day, 1870)
PLATE 114
Striped rockskipper
Gestreepte klipspringer
Salarias andamensis Day, 1870: 611 (Andaman Ids.). lstiblennius andamanensis: Smith, 1959: 242*.
D XIII-XIV,20-21; A II ,20-21 ; P 14. Fleshy crest on top of head of
males and some females.
Males with about 5 or 6 dusky bands on body, each band
with vertical pair of oblong spots included; several faintly
dusky pinstripes on body anteriorly; dark spot behind eye,
another on opercle. Females with 5 or 6 faintly dusky bands
on body overlain by several dark lines which break up into
dashes posteriorly; numerous dark spots on median fins.
Attains 8 cm SL. Possibly restricted to western and central
Indian Ocean; south to Bazaruto.
235.16 Istiblennius andamensis: 8.5 em male (N. Mozambique).
747
vomer. Nape cirri in a transverse comb narrowly interrupted at dorsal
midline; anterior LL with numerous dorsal and ventral branches terminating in pores.
Body, head and fins covered with numerous dark spots,
sometimes arranged in clusters on body. Attains 12 cm SL.
Red Sea to central Pacific; south to Sodwana Bay.
Genus Hirculops Smith, 1959
One species.
235.15 Hirculaps camifer
(ROppell,1830)
PLATE 114
Highbrow rockskipper
Geleerde klipspringer
Blennius comifer Ruppell, 1830: 112 (Djedda, Red Sea) . Hirculops cornifer comifer: Smith , 1959: 247. Hirculops comifer menos Smith, 1959:
247* (Mozambique Id .); 1961: 571 , No. 976a.
D XII,18-21; A II,20-23 ; P 14; V 1,3. Long ribbon-like cirrus on eye;
short simple cirrus on nape ; upper jaw teeth 32-34 ; lower jaw teeth 20-26;
1 or 2 small canine teeth posteriorly on each side of lower jaw; vomer with
teeth .
Dusky or dark spot between membranes of 1st 2 D
spines; P spotted; A spotted in females, uniformly dusky in
males; body variously banded and spotted; 2 dusky spots on
breast anterior to V. Attains 6 cm SL. Red Sea and Indian
Ocean, south to Pondoland .
235.15 Hirculops eornifer: 7 em male paratype of H. e. menos (Kenya).
Genus Istiblennius Whitley, 1943
Numerous species; 7 in our area; nasal tentacle branched.
V 1,3 except I. flaviumbrinus which has V 1,3-4. This genus
is greatly in need of revision; several of the specific names
used here are probably incorrectly applied.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Orbital tentacle branched ............................. ..... ... ... ....... .... 2
Ib Orbital tentacle simple ... , ...... ................ .. ..... ................ ... .. .. 3
2a Segmented Drays 17-19; ventral margin of
upper lip crenulate; V 1,3 or 1,4 ........ ........ ......... I. flaviumbrinus
2b Segmented Drays 19-22; margin of upper lip
smooth; V 1,3 .................................................... I. dussumieri
235: BLENNIIDAE (BLENNIES)
3a Anterior LL with numerous vertical pairs of
pores; no fleshy crest on top of head of either
sex ............................................ ............ .... ....... I. gibbifrons
3b Anterior LL with no vertical pairs of pore~
fleshy crest present or absent on top of head..... .. .... .. .. .... ......... 4
4a No cirrus present on nape ...... .... .................. .......... .. ........... 5
4b Simple cirrus present on each side of nape ........ .......... .. ...... .... 6
5a Ventral margin of upper lip smooth; small
canine tooth present at rear of lower jaw
(difficult to see: requires forcing mouth open);
females with several fine , dark stripes,
terminating as dashes, on body ........ ............ ......... I. andamensis
5b Ventral margin of upper lip crenulate; no canines
in lower jaw; females densely covered with fine ,
dark specks ............ ... ........ ... ...... .. ..... ...... .. .. ...... .. I. impudens
6a Ventral margin of upper lip smooth; no canine
posteriorly in lower jaw ; well-developed crest on
top of head of males . . . . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. l. edentulus
6b Ventral margin of upper lip crenulate; canine
tooth at rear of lower jaw (difficult to see:
requires forcing mouth open); no fleshy crest
on head (a low ridge occasionally present
in males) .. .... .... .. .. .... ...... .. .. ......................... I. periophthalmus
235.16 Istiblennius andamensis
(Day, 1870)
PLATE 114
Striped rockskipper
Gestreepte klipspringer
Salarias andamensis Day, 1870: 611 (Andaman Ids.). lstiblennius andamanensis: Smith, 1959: 242*.
D XIII-XIV,20-21; A II ,20-21 ; P 14. Fleshy crest on top of head of
males and some females.
Males with about 5 or 6 dusky bands on body, each band
with vertical pair of oblong spots included; several faintly
dusky pinstripes on body anteriorly; dark spot behind eye,
another on opercle. Females with 5 or 6 faintly dusky bands
on body overlain by several dark lines which break up into
dashes posteriorly; numerous dark spots on median fins.
Attains 8 cm SL. Possibly restricted to western and central
Indian Ocean; south to Bazaruto.
235.16 Istiblennius andamensis: 8.5 em male (N. Mozambique).
747