Omobranchus verticalis Springer & Gomon 1975

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114).

Omobranchus verticalis

DESCRIPTION (see also Table 5; where variation is indicated the holotype is flagged with an asterisk).—Dorsal fin XII, 19*–20 = 31*–32; anal fin II, 22; both anal-fin spines of males discernible externally; segmented caudal-fin rays 13; dorsal + ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 14–15*; vertebrae 10 + 27*–28 = 37*–38; epipleural ribs 13; prenasal pores present; interorbital pores 3*–4; circumorbital pores 8; lateral-line tubes 3–5 (4 on both sides of holotype); lateral-line tubes extending posteriorly to below level of dorsal-fin spine 3–9 (to 6 on one side and 9 on the other in the holotype); gill opening either restricted to area dorsal to level of dorsalmost pectoral-fin ray* or extending ventrally to opposite dorsalmost ray; lower-lip flap present; circumorbital bones 5; lower jaw teeth 16*—18; upper jaw teeth 15–17 (16*; Figure 42); no fleshy bladelike crest on top of head of males.

The above description is based only on the three available males. The following description is based on a female that arrived too late to be included above or in Tables 1, 4, and 5 or Figure 42. Dorsal fin XIII, 19 = 32; anal fin II, 22; segmented caudal-fin rays 13; dorsal + ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 14; vertebrae 10 + 28 = 38; epipleural ribs 12; prenasal pores present; interorbital pores 3; circumorbital pores 8; lateral-line tubes 2; lateral-line tubes extending posteriorly to below level of dorsal-fin spine 3; gill opening restricted to area dorsal to level of dorsalmost pectoral-fin ray; lower-lip flap present; lower jaw teeth 16; upper jaw teeth 15; no fleshy bladelike crest on top of head.

COLOR PATTERN.—Males: Head: Four moderately narrow, dark bands present on head; all bands confluent across ventral surface of head with corresponding band of opposite side; anterior band extends from anteroventral margin of orbit across mouth, just anterior to corner, to chin; 2nd band extends ventrally from posteroventral margin of orbit; 3rd band originates broadly on nape midway between eye and dorsal-fin origin, extends first anteroventrally, then slightly posteriorly just below posterior margin of orbit, where it narrows slightly and continues to ventral surface of head; 3rd band bears dark intensification (spot) on anterior margin in area posterior to eye; 4th band extends ventrally, slightly posteriorly, from upper end of operculum. Several very fine, intensely dark spots present on opercular membrane just anterior to gill slit. Snout and interorbital dusky. Several pale blotches present on nape; dusky blotch present on nape just anterior to dorsal-fin origin.

Trunk: Approximately 10 to 12 dusky bands on body; bands on midlateral half of body, bordered by anterior and posterior narrow, dark margins; margins may converge slightly dorsally and ventrally, giving bands double convex appearance; bands generally broader anteriorly (although first 2 or 3 narrow) and progressively narrower posteriorly, the last 5 or 6 may be reduced to single dark, dusky, vertical lines, becoming faint to absent at posterior end of body; bands evenly spaced, spaces between bands slightly narrower than broadest band; ends of bands indistinct, dorsal end of each band connected by diffuse, irregular, dusky extension of band to corresponding blotch in series of dark, evenly spaced blotches lying along dorsal-fin base.

Pectoral Fin: Pale, slightly dusky area present midlaterally on base of fin; narrow dark band directed posteroventrally across fleshy fin base from ventral end of gill slit to ventral surface of trunk posterior to pelvic-fin base.

Pelvic Fin: Pale.

Dorsal Fin: Pale, with fairly even spread of fine dusky specks of pigment, pigment more dense anteriorly. Row of dusky blotches on body at base of dorsal fin continued slightly onto fin. Large, oval, dark spot present on distal three-fourths of membrane between first 2 spines.

Anal Fin: Pale dusky, darker anteriorly, ray tips abruptly pale. Dark dusky blotch present on membrane posterior to every 2nd ray base.

Caudal Fin: Pale with vertically oriented pair of dusky blotches at fin base, each blotch continued posteriorly as dusky streak.

Female: Similar to males except: narrow, pale, median stripe extending from between anterior nostril to interorbital area; pale spot enclosing posterior nostril; dark area on nape forming chain-like configuration enclosing pale spots; dark body b bands not converging dorsally or ventrally, less bbroad anteriorly, more uniformly pigmented; spinous portion of dorsal fin with distal half dusky, proximal half pale except for dusky blotches associated with body bands; dark spot at anterior end of dorsal fin slightly smaller and less intense.

COMPARISONS.—Omobranchus verticalis is separable from all other species of Omobranchus on features of its color pattern. Males have a dark spot between the anterior two dorsal-fin spines, a mark not found in males of the other species. The nature of the body bands of O. verticalis is also distinctive. Omobranchus verticalis is otherwise separable from most of the species of Omobranchus only by a combination of characters. Besides color pattern, it may be separated most readily from those populations (eastern Australian) of Omobranchus species with which it appears to be broadly sympatric as follows: from O. anolius in lacking a fleshy crest on the head and in having lateral-line tubes; from O. germaini, O. rotundiceps, and O. punctatus in having 31–32 total dorsal-fin elements (versus 32–36 in the other species; only a few specimens of O. germaini with 32) and 37–38 total vertebrae (39–43 in the other species); from O. punctatus in having 13 epipleural ribs (versus 19–24) and both anal-fin spines of males discernible externally; from O. rotundiceps in having 3–5 lateral-line tubes, which extend posteriorly to a level below dorsal fin spines 6–8 (versus 0–3, rarely 3, tubes extending, when present, to below dorsal-fin spines 1–4), and in having 22 segmented anal-fin rays (versus 23–26); from O. lineolatus in having 12 dorsal-fin spines (versus 11) and 22 segmented anal-fin rays (versus 20).

HOLOTYPE.—AMS IA.4938, male, 38.8 mm SL, Boat Passage, Brisbane River, Queensland, in hole in mangrove roots high up in root and almost at high-water mark, coll. T. Iredale, May 1931.

PARATYPES.—AMS 1.17150–001, male, 49.5 mm SL, and USNM 210616, 33.3 mm SL, male, collected with the holotype. ANSP 128000, female, 30.4 mm SL, vicinity of Brisbane, probably Serpentine Creek mangrove area, 1970.

Omobranchus woodi (Gilchrist and Thompson)

Aspidontus woodi Gilchrist and Thompson, 1908:105 [Nahoon River].

DESCRIPTION (see also Table 5).—Dorsal fin XI–XIII (XII in 94.6% of specimens), 19–21 = 31–33; anal fin II, 20–22 (up to 23 according to J. L. B. Smith, 1965 and Penrith and Penrith, 1972); both anal-fin spines of males discernible externally; segmented caudal-fin rays 13; dorsal + ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 12–15 (rarely 15); vertebrae 11–12 (11 in 92.0% of specimens) + 27–29 = 38–40; epipleural ribs 14–19 (rarely 14); prenasal pores present; interorbital pores 2–4 (3 in 97.2% of specimens); circumorbital pores 7–9 (8 in 94.3% of specimens); lateral-line tubes 0–6 (0 in one, 1 in none, and 2 in one of 33 specimens); lateral-line tubes, when present, extending posteriorly to below level of dorsal-fin spine 2–10 (to 2 in one specimen, to 5–10 in all other specimens); gill opening either restricted to area dorsal to level of dorsalmost pectoral-fin ray (31 of 32 specimens) or extending ventrally to opposite dorsalmost ray (1 specimen); lower-lip flap present; circumorbital bones 5; lower jaw teeth 25–31; upper jaw teeth 23–30 (Figure 46); fleshy bladelike crest on top of head of both sexes.

COLOR PATTERN.—Males (pattern of most large individuals obscured by dusky to dark dusky shading): Head: Faint, diffuse, dusky band extending from anteroventral margin of orbit across mouth, just anterior to corner of jaws, to chin, where it joins corresponding band of opposite side; band interrupted by eye dorsally and continued from dorsoposterior margin of orbit onto fleshy crest. Two (occasionally 3) vertical, intensely dark marks separated by narrow, pale interspace on side of head posterior to eye. Circumorbital sensory pores along posterior half of eye ringed by intensely dark pigment. Several narrow, faint, dusky lines radiating from dorsal and ventral margins of orbit. Snout and anterior inteorbital dusky with several pale spots or small blotches anterior to eye. Crest and nape usually paler than rest of head with dorsoposteriorly slanted, dusky band extending onto crest from orbital margin. Dark ventroanteriorly slanted saddle extending across nape just anterior to dorsal-fin origin; ventral end of saddle (separate spot in some specimens) broad, somewhat darker, positioned posterior to 2 dark marks on side of head. Narrow, dark bar present on operculum just ventral to saddle, occasionally continuing across ventral surface on head to other side. Several scattered, small, intensely dark spots sometimes present on operculum.

Trunk: Up to 11 or 12 evenly spaced, faint, broad, dark dusky bands present on trunk, ventral half of anterior 5 bands slanted posteroventrally, posterior bands nearly vertical, dorsal ends of bands irregular, sometimes separate; bands becoming faint to absent posteriorly. Row of approximately 15 evenly spaced, faint, dusky blotches on dorsal body contour at dorsal-fin base. Many small, intensely dark spots occasionally present dorsoposteriorly to pectoral-fin base; approximately half of spots hidden by appressed pectoral fin. Freshly preserved specimens with trunk evenly covered by small, pale spots.

Pectoral Fin: Pale dusky with even spread of fine dark specks of pigment. Fleshy base pale dusky with dusky blotch ventrally.

Pelvic Fin: Pale dusky with even spread of fine dark specks of pigment.

Dorsal Fin: Pale dusky to transparent with even spread of fine dark specks of pigment, slightly duskier near base.

Anal Fin: Dark dusky to dark, occasionally with many indistinct, small, pale spots; tips of rays abruptly pale.

Caudal Fin: Pale dusky, duskier on ventral half of fin. Ventral edge of fin dark near base.

Females: Similar to males except: overall pigment paler; 1 freshly preserved specimen with 2 additional, very faint, broad, dusky bands slanted posteroventrally on ventral side of head; anteriormost band ventral to eye, joins corresponding band of opposite side; 2nd band broadly connected to dark saddle dorsally, reaching ventrally to prepelvic area but not to ventral midline; bands on trunk much fainter dorsally and ventrally, restricted much more to lateral midline, especially posteriorly; occasionally more small intensely dark spots near fleshy pectoral-fin base.

Omobranchus woodi has been illustrated in color in Smith and Smith (1967:112).

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Figure 7).—Western coast of South Africa.

HABITAT.—Quiet backwaters in estuaries and tidal rivers; in burrows under stones in muddy areas (Smith and Smith, 1967).

COMPARISONS.—Omobranchus woodi is distinguishable from most of the other species of Omobranchus only on the basis of a combination of characters. It is closely related to the banditus species group (see “Comparisons” under O. banditus), but differs from that group in particulars of color pattern and in having both anal-fin spines of males discernible externally. A fleshy crest on top of the head is present in all specimens of both sexes, and this character alone will distinguish O. woodi from those species with which it appears to be broadly sympatric, except O. banditus and O. fasciolatus. It is readily separable from O. banditus in having a lower-lip flap and in lacking the prominent dark body bands found in that species. It can be distinguished from O. fasciolatus in having 3 (versus 2) interorbital pores and 11–12 precaudal vertebrae (versus 10).

While it is not readily apparent to the uninitiated, O. woodi exhibits certain features of color pattern on the head that distinguish it from all other species of Omobranchus. The distinguishing pattern consists of 2 or 3, more or less parallel short, dark, vertical marks posterodorsal to the orbit, and the dark ringing of the posterior circumorbital pores (Figure 32).

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—SOUTH AFRICA: Durban Bay, SAM 17400 (ca. 29); Port Elizabeth, SAM 12024 (2: 62.1–ca. 74), BMNH uncataloged (3: ca. 51–81.1), 1900.4.20.9 (ca. 56); Nahoon River, SAM 9898 (77.9, holotype of Aspindontus woodi); Kowie River, RUSI 2364 (58.3); Kariega River, RUSI 2361 (48.0); Knysna and vicinity, RUSI 2365 (12: 23.7–68.7), 2357 (12: 45.0–75.7), 2359 (2: 60.8–70.2), SAM 25384 (ca. 40); Lake Sifungwe, RUSI uncataloged (43.6). NO LOCALITY: SAM 23984 (ca. 37).

Omobranchus verticalis és una espècie de peix de la família dels blènnids i de l'ordre dels perciformes.

Omobranchus verticalis, the vertical blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in brackish waters in Australia.

Omobranchus verticalis es una especie de pez de la familia Blenniidae en el orden de los Perciformes.

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Omobranchus verticalis Omobranchus generoko animalia da. Arrainen barruko Actinopterygii klasean sailkatzen da, Blenniidae familian.