Blackhead Threefin

Male dusky red with black "mask" covering most of head, chest, and pectoral-fin base, about 5 whitish saddles/bars on back (a few extending on lower side), and white bar on pectoral-fin base (immediately posterior to black area). Female mainly brownish or greenish with white bars. Dorsal rays III + XI-XIV + 8-12; anal rays I,14-20; pectoral rays 14-18; pelvic rays I,2; lateral line interrupted, 14-20 + 13-20; head, chest, and pectoral-fin base scaleless; lobate orbital tentacle; mandibular pores 3-4 + 1-2 +3-4. Maximum size to 4.4 cm TL (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 12; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 14 - 20

Adults occur at shallow depths, often seen associated with coralline rocks, seagrass or algae (Ref. 13227). Eggs are hemispherical and covered with numerous sticky threads that anchor them in the algae on the nesting sites (Ref. 240). Larvae are planktonic which occur primarily in shallow, nearshore waters (Ref. 94114).

fisheries: of no interest

Enneapterygius larsonae, known commonly as the Western Australian black-head triplefin, is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Enneapterygius. It was described by the German ichthyologist Ronald Fricke in 1994. The specific name honours Helen K. Larson, the Curator of Fishes at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, Australia, who collected the type.