Multispotted Blenny

Body elongate, compressed. Head small, without crests. Elongated seventh and eight dorsal fin spines and two cirri on the anterior nostril rim (Ref. 37380). Body pale in color with small black spots (Ref. 4404).

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 112; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 21; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 19 - 25

Adults inhabit shoreline reefs and sheltered lagoons (Ref. 90102). 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).

aquarium: commercial

Laiphognathus multimaculatus Smith

Laiphognathus multimaculatus J. L. B. Smith, 1955, p. 24 [Bazaruto Island, Mozambique, RU 237].

New records of this species have not been reported in the literature since the original description, despite the fact that it is relatively common in collections and widely distributed geographically (Figure 4).

Secondary sexual dimorphism is exhibited in this species by a relative increase in the size of the nasal cirri of males. Males also have a dark spot on the venter and an elongate dark spot on the underside of the lower jaw that are not present in females, which have an immaculate venter and some small, round, dark spots anteriorly on the underside of the jaw.

The cirri on the labial flap at the corner of the mouth are poorly developed in small specimens and are readily overlooked.

Fin ray and vertebral counts of specimens from the various localities indicate a somewhat clinal shift in both an easterly and westerly direction from the Gulf of Thailand (Tables 1 and 2). Other population differences were also noted. In all but the Ceylonese specimens there are two cirri on the rims of each anterior and posterior nostril, with one and three cirri as rare variants. All seven of the Ceylonese specimens have three cirri on each nostril. In the Ceylonese specimens the supratemporal-preoperculo-mandibular sensory pore count is 17–20, in the other specimens 14–15. The difference in pore counts occurs in the midpredorsal supratemporal canal position. At this position the canal gives rise to an anteriorly extending tube that opens by several pores in the Ceylonese specimens, but by only one or two pores in the other specimens. Cirri and pore differences are not correlated with the sizes of the specimens.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.–Tanzania: Pemba, RU uncataloged (25.8). Mozambique: Bazaruto Island, RU 237 (39.4, holotype of Laiphognathus multimaculatus); Inhaca Island, RU 1097 (5: 22.8–31.1), RU 1100 (24.5). Ceylon: Trincomalee, USNM 205857 (6: 14.6–23.7), USNM 205947 (24.0). Gulf of Thailand: Goh Samet Island, CAS GVF2185 (2: 21.6–21.9), CAS GVF2180 (22.9); Koh Kroi Island, CAS GVF2183 (21.1); Goh Maprao Island, CAS GVF2186 (2: 23.2–27.3); Goh Tao Island, CAS GVF1535 (20.6); Goh Raed Island, CAS GVF2651 (2: both 24.7); Goh Kram Island, CAS SU62088 (3: 13.9–25.7, including one specimen cleared and stained). Borneo: Palau Gaya, Darvel Bay, USNM 201461 (25.2). Solomon Islands: Florida Island, USNM 198962 (20.3).

Omobranchus Ehrenberg, in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1836, p. 287 [first appearance in synonymy, subsequently made available by Swainson, 1839, p. 274; type-species: O. fasciolatus Ehrenberg, in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1836, by monotypy].

Graviceps Fowler, 1903, p. 170 [type-species: Petroscirtes elegans Steindachner, 1877, by original designation].

Cyneichthys Ogilby, 1910, p. 55 [type-species: Blennechis anolius Valenciennes, in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1836, by original designation, in parentheses, and monotypy].

Poroalticus Fowler, 1931, p. 403 [type-species: P. sewalli Fowler, 1931, by monotypy].

Pauloscirtes Whitley, 1935, p. 351 [type-species: Petroscirtes obliquus Garman, 1903, by original designation].

Cruantus J. L. B. Smith, 1959, p. 234 [type-species: Omobranchus dealmeida J. L. B. Smith, 1949, by original designation].

DIAGNOSIS.–No cirri on head; dorsal and anal fins free or attached to caudal fin; frontal bones separate in adults; 4 or 5 circumorbital bones; no kinethmoid; postcleithra normal; ventral hypural plate autogenous; 11–14 dorsal fin spines, 12–14 (usually 13) pectoral fin rays; nasal bones separate; 7–8 (9 in exceptional individuals) sensory pores in circumorbital series; 3 sensory pores in mandibular series; 13 sensory pores in supratemporal-preoperculomandibular series; 2–4 interorbital sensory pores (4 in exceptional specimens only); posterior nostril present, normal; gill opening restricted to area above level of sixth from dorsalmost pectoral fin ray; shortest pelvic fin ray more than half length of longest.

Some species of Omobranchus have a thin, fleshy occipital crest, which is absent in all other genera of the Omobranchini. In those species with a crest, that of males is relatively larger than that of females.

RELATIONSHIP.–See relationships under Parenchelyurus.

REMARKS.–In the original description, Fowler (1903) compared Graviceps only with Aspidontus Quoy and Gaimard (tribe Nemophini). The only character Fowler gave to distinguish Graviceps was the presence of a short blunt snout, a character found in most blenniids, including Omobranchus.

There is some question as to what taxonomic rank Ogilby (1910) was intending for his new name Cyneichthys. The type-species, anolius, is referred to Petroskirtes (sic) in the discussion of the various species. At the end of the discussion Ogilby presented a key to the subdivisions of Petroscirtes (sic). Two type fonts are used for the scientific names in the key: caps and small caps and italics in parentheses. The italicized names appear in key couplets under the names in caps and small caps and are obviously meant to be subdivisions within these names. “Cyneichthys; nom nov.” appears in italics and in parentheses in a key couplet under Petroskirtes, in caps and small caps. All the names listed by Ogilby must be considered as generic group names. Of these, only Enchelyurus and Cyneichthys are referable to the Omobranchini. The characters Ogilby used to distinguish Cyneichthys were the presence of a fleshy occipital crest and some filamentous soft dorsal fin rays. A crest is present in several species of Omobranchus, but filamentous soft dorsal rays appear to be restricted to O. anolius. Other species of Omobranchus, particularly males, may have the tips of the dorsal rays extending slightly beyond the margin of the interradial membrane, and males of one species have the dorsal fin spines filamentous. I do not consider that the filamentous dorsal rays of O. anolius merit generic recognition.

In the original description Poroalticus was described by Fowler from the Caribbean and compared only with Blennius Linnaeus and Hypleurochilus Gill (both tribe Blenniini). Fowler did not recognize that his type-species, P. sewalli, was the same as the Indo-West Pacific species O. punctatus (see Springer, 1963, where the species is referred to as O. japonicus).

In the original description Pauloscirtes was compared with Omobranchus, Graviceps, and Cyneichthys (and some genera of the Nemophini). It was differentiated from Omobranchus in supposedly having larger canines, but no indication was given as to the actual size of the canines or what species of Omobranchus were being used for comparison. The relative size of the canines is quite variable in Omobranchus species and I do not consider this character alone as sufficient for generic recognition. Graviceps supposedly had about 30 teeth in each jaw as opposed to 18 in Pauloscirtes. My counts indicate that the teeth range from 17 to 28 in each jaw (depending on standard length) in the type-species of Graviceps, so the difference reported by Whitley probably is not valid. Although number of jaw teeth are of specific or generic importance in some genera of Omobranchini (see Figures 2 and 3), characters other than slight differences in number of teeth are distinctive of these genera. The type-species of Pauloscirtes shows no such important differences when compared with other Omobranchus. The crest and filamentous rays of Cyneichthys were used as the basis for distinguishing that genus from Pauloscirtes. The characters of Cyneichthys have been discussed above.

In the original description Cruantus was compared with Omobranchus, from which it presumably differed in having a sloping snout and the gill opening extending to below the upper edge of the pectoral fin base. Snout shape is variable in Omobranchus, as is depth of the gill opening, which may be slightly greater in the type-species of Cruantus than in other species of Omobranchus. The type-species of Cruantus, C. dealmeida (and its senior synonyms), does differ from all other species of Omobranchus that I have examined in having 4 circumorbital bones rather than 5. This difference and that of the gill opening depth may merit subgeneric recognition when the genus is revised.

Omobranchus is the most speciose genus of the Omobranchini. I estimate that there are 15–20 species in the genus. The species are all Indo-West Pacific in distribution, except that one species, O. punctatus (Valenciennes), has a disjunct distribution that includes the Caribbean, probably as the result of man’s activity. No other species of fish is known to have a similar distribution.

Omox, new genus

DIAGNOSIS.–No cirri on head; dorsal and anal fins not attached to caudal fin; frontal bones separate in adults; 4 circumorbital bones, kinethmoid present; postcleithra normal; ventral hypural plate autogenous; 12 dorsal fin spines; 13 pectoral fin rays; nasal bones separate; 8 (rarely 7 unilaterally) sensory pores in circumorbital series; 3 sensory pores in mandibular series; 13 sensory pores in supratemporal-preoperculo-mandibular series; 4 (rarely 3) interorbital sensory pores; posterior nostril present, normal; gill opening extending ventrally to opposite level of 8th to 11th from dorsalmost pectoral fin ray; shortest pelvic fin ray more than half length of longest.

RELATIONSHIPS.–Omox appears to be most similar to Omobranchus but differs from that genus primarily in the number and distribution of its sensory pores, larger gill opening, and presence of a kinethmoid. In these characters it most closely resembles Haptogenys but differs from that genus in having the nasal bones relatively tubelike and completely separate and in having terminal jaws.

Mature males of Omox have some of the caudal fin rays much elongated, a condition known only for Omox and some species of Omobranchus among the Omobranchini.

ETYMOLOGY.–The name Omox is an arbitrary combination of letters; gender masculine.

TYPE-SPECIES.–Omox biporos, new species.

分布於印度-西太平洋區，由非洲東岸、莫三比克至新幾內亞、所羅門，北至日本、台灣等。台灣分布於西部海域。

小型魚類，僅具學術研究價值。

體長橢圓，稍側扁；間鰓蓋骨之腹後側有突起，向後超過上舌骨之後緣。頭頂無冠膜；前後鼻鬚皆分枝；其餘部位無鬚。鰓裂位胸鰭基上方。上下唇平滑；上下頜具後犬齒。D. X-XII, 19-21； A. II, 19-24； P. 11-14； V. I, 2。背鰭第VII-X棘延長；背、臀鰭與尾柄相連。體一致淡色，頭部及體側散布小黑斑；各鰭淡色，背鰭基底具黑點；尾鰭前部具一弧形排列之淡橘黃斑。

主要於亞潮帶的岩礁上。

Laiphognathus multimaculatus, the spotty blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It can reach a maximum length of 4 centimetres (1.6 in) SL, and is a commercial aquarium fish.