237: CLINIDAE (KLIPFISHES)
Typical variable cryptic colouring in reddish, green or
brown; D and A membranes with 9 and 6 transparent windows respectively, the last in each fin with rays bent to contain the semi-oval window; most of C membrane transparent; young reddish with large silvery patches along side.
Attains 10 cm. Intertidal pools from False Bay to Coffee
Bay (32°S). Gravid females often with very bloated and distorted belly. A small species that makes no attempt to evade
capture beyond writhing slowly.
237.26 Fucomimus mus: 7.5 em (Port Alfred).
Genus Muraenoclinus Smith, 1946
Body elongate, eel-like, slightly compressed; head
pointed with light stripe from tip of snout to D origin; has
only 1 soft Dray. Monotypic.
237.27 Muraenoclinus dorsalis
(Castelnau, 1860)
PLATE 118
Nosestripe klipfish
Neusstreep-klipvis
Clinus dorsalis Castelnau, in Bleeker, 1860: 54; Castelnau, 1861: 54
(Cape). Muraenoclinus dorsalis: Smith, 1946: 538; SFSA No. 979*; Smith
& Smith, 1966: 109*. Clinus (Clinus) dorsalis: Penrith, 1969: 28*.
D XLI-XLVIII,1; A II,25-31; P 11-13; V I,2-3; GR 2+(0-3); vertebrae
19+(32-35); from LL about 15-20 pores alternately above and below line;
no cirri at D spine tips; bases of D, A and C naked; flat supraorbital tentacle ends in fringe of fine cirri.
Colour variably green to brown, sometimes mottled and
generally with shoulder ocellus as illustrated; becomes uniform buff on preservation. Attains 10 cm. Commoner on
the west coast, this fish usually lives among stones in tidal
pools from Liideritzbucht to southern Natal; a agile as an
eel, even crawling out of the water to evade capture.
Genus Pavoclinus Smith, 1946
Front LL narrow with pores opening medially or above
and below; after post-pectoral curve a series of disjointed
horizontal tubes with a pore at each end. Intromittent organ
with short basal portion, very large conical tip with single
pair dorso-lateral lips basally. Vomer toothed. Sluggish,
weed-dwelling species with cryptic colouring.
766
Eight species in 2 subgenera: subgenus Labroclinus
Smith, 1946 is monotypic for Pavoclinus (Labroclinus)
mentalis.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a Anal soft rays 27-32; prominent skinny flap on lower
jaw at symphysis (subgenus Labroclinus) .................... P. mentalis
1b Anal soft rays 14-25 (P. smalei has 25-27);
no flap of skin on lower jaw (subgenus Pavoclinus) ................... 2
2a C 12; D origin between eye and preopercle
hind margin ............................................................ P. myae
2b C 13; D origin over hind margin of preopercle .............. ........... 3
3a D soft-rays 7-8; C peduncle length greater than
58% head length ............................................... P. litorafontis
3b D soft-rays 2-6; C peduncle length less than \1 head length .......... 4
4a 1st 3 D spines not forming crest ............................................ 5
4b 1st 3 D spines form crest ..................................................... 6
5a D XXX-XXXIII,3-4; A II,20-23 ............................. P profundus
5b D XXXVI-XXXVIII,2-3; A 11,25-27 ........................... P. smalei
6a D soft-rays 2-4; 3rd V ray minute; no scales on C .............. P. pavo
6b D soft rays 4-6; 3rd V ray moderate; scales extend onto C .......... 7
7a Length upper jaw more than 31.6% head length
and greater than 70% distance from centre of
posterior nostril to D origin; membrane from
3rd D spine barely reaches base of 4th (never
well up to 4th) ...................................................... P. laurentii
7b Length upper jaw less than 31.5% head length and
less than 66% distance from centre of posterior nostril
to D origin; membrane from 3rd D spine generally
well up 4th .......................................................... P. graminis
237.28 Pavoclinus graminis
(Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908)
PLATE 119
Grass klipfish
Gras-klipvis
Clinus graminis Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908: 136 (Cape). Pavoclinus
heterodon (non Valenciennes): Smith, 1946: 545; SFSA No. 1001*; Smith
& Smith, 1966: 111 *. Pavoclinus (Pavoclinus) graminis: Penrith, 1969:
76*. Pavoclinus graminis: Christensen, 1978: 7*.
D XXX-XXXV,4-6; A 11,21-24; P 12; V I,3; GR(2-3)+(4-5); vertebrae
15+(29-31); D with low crest but usually no notch between 3rd and 4th D
spines; inner V ray about half length and half diameter of others; A base
and head naked, bases of C and D scaly, small but visible embedded overlapping scales over whole of body.
Colour variable depending on weedy environment, fins
of adults with small translucent areas; becomes uniform
buff on preservation. Attains 16 cm. Amongst weed, mainly
in tide pools from False Bay to Inhambane.
237.29 Pavoclinus smalei
Heemstra & Wright, 1986
PLATE 120
Deep-reef klipfish
Dieprif-klipvis
Pavoclinus smalei Heemstra & Wright, 1986: 00, Fig. 00 (Storms River
Mouth. Tsitsikama).
Typical variable cryptic colouring in reddish, green or
brown; D and A membranes with 9 and 6 transparent windows respectively, the last in each fin with rays bent to contain the semi-oval window; most of C membrane transparent; young reddish with large silvery patches along side.
Attains 10 cm. Intertidal pools from False Bay to Coffee
Bay (32°S). Gravid females often with very bloated and distorted belly. A small species that makes no attempt to evade
capture beyond writhing slowly.
237.26 Fucomimus mus: 7.5 em (Port Alfred).
Genus Muraenoclinus Smith, 1946
Body elongate, eel-like, slightly compressed; head
pointed with light stripe from tip of snout to D origin; has
only 1 soft Dray. Monotypic.
237.27 Muraenoclinus dorsalis
(Castelnau, 1860)
PLATE 118
Nosestripe klipfish
Neusstreep-klipvis
Clinus dorsalis Castelnau, in Bleeker, 1860: 54; Castelnau, 1861: 54
(Cape). Muraenoclinus dorsalis: Smith, 1946: 538; SFSA No. 979*; Smith
& Smith, 1966: 109*. Clinus (Clinus) dorsalis: Penrith, 1969: 28*.
D XLI-XLVIII,1; A II,25-31; P 11-13; V I,2-3; GR 2+(0-3); vertebrae
19+(32-35); from LL about 15-20 pores alternately above and below line;
no cirri at D spine tips; bases of D, A and C naked; flat supraorbital tentacle ends in fringe of fine cirri.
Colour variably green to brown, sometimes mottled and
generally with shoulder ocellus as illustrated; becomes uniform buff on preservation. Attains 10 cm. Commoner on
the west coast, this fish usually lives among stones in tidal
pools from Liideritzbucht to southern Natal; a agile as an
eel, even crawling out of the water to evade capture.
Genus Pavoclinus Smith, 1946
Front LL narrow with pores opening medially or above
and below; after post-pectoral curve a series of disjointed
horizontal tubes with a pore at each end. Intromittent organ
with short basal portion, very large conical tip with single
pair dorso-lateral lips basally. Vomer toothed. Sluggish,
weed-dwelling species with cryptic colouring.
766
Eight species in 2 subgenera: subgenus Labroclinus
Smith, 1946 is monotypic for Pavoclinus (Labroclinus)
mentalis.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a Anal soft rays 27-32; prominent skinny flap on lower
jaw at symphysis (subgenus Labroclinus) .................... P. mentalis
1b Anal soft rays 14-25 (P. smalei has 25-27);
no flap of skin on lower jaw (subgenus Pavoclinus) ................... 2
2a C 12; D origin between eye and preopercle
hind margin ............................................................ P. myae
2b C 13; D origin over hind margin of preopercle .............. ........... 3
3a D soft-rays 7-8; C peduncle length greater than
58% head length ............................................... P. litorafontis
3b D soft-rays 2-6; C peduncle length less than \1 head length .......... 4
4a 1st 3 D spines not forming crest ............................................ 5
4b 1st 3 D spines form crest ..................................................... 6
5a D XXX-XXXIII,3-4; A II,20-23 ............................. P profundus
5b D XXXVI-XXXVIII,2-3; A 11,25-27 ........................... P. smalei
6a D soft-rays 2-4; 3rd V ray minute; no scales on C .............. P. pavo
6b D soft rays 4-6; 3rd V ray moderate; scales extend onto C .......... 7
7a Length upper jaw more than 31.6% head length
and greater than 70% distance from centre of
posterior nostril to D origin; membrane from
3rd D spine barely reaches base of 4th (never
well up to 4th) ...................................................... P. laurentii
7b Length upper jaw less than 31.5% head length and
less than 66% distance from centre of posterior nostril
to D origin; membrane from 3rd D spine generally
well up 4th .......................................................... P. graminis
237.28 Pavoclinus graminis
(Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908)
PLATE 119
Grass klipfish
Gras-klipvis
Clinus graminis Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908: 136 (Cape). Pavoclinus
heterodon (non Valenciennes): Smith, 1946: 545; SFSA No. 1001*; Smith
& Smith, 1966: 111 *. Pavoclinus (Pavoclinus) graminis: Penrith, 1969:
76*. Pavoclinus graminis: Christensen, 1978: 7*.
D XXX-XXXV,4-6; A 11,21-24; P 12; V I,3; GR(2-3)+(4-5); vertebrae
15+(29-31); D with low crest but usually no notch between 3rd and 4th D
spines; inner V ray about half length and half diameter of others; A base
and head naked, bases of C and D scaly, small but visible embedded overlapping scales over whole of body.
Colour variable depending on weedy environment, fins
of adults with small translucent areas; becomes uniform
buff on preservation. Attains 16 cm. Amongst weed, mainly
in tide pools from False Bay to Inhambane.
237.29 Pavoclinus smalei
Heemstra & Wright, 1986
PLATE 120
Deep-reef klipfish
Dieprif-klipvis
Pavoclinus smalei Heemstra & Wright, 1986: 00, Fig. 00 (Storms River
Mouth. Tsitsikama).