Ecsenius oculatus Springer 1988

Description: Dorsal fin XII.13-15, with deep notch between spinous and ray portions; anal fin II,15-17; pectoral rays 13; pelvic fin I, 3; caudal-fin segmented rays 13. Body depth at anal-fin origin 4.9-5.4 in SL. Vertebrae 10 + 21-23; incisors and anterior canine teeth look very similar, 47-60; posterior canines 1 on each side. Lateral line without pores, ends below 10th dorsal spine and 1st segmented ray. Anterior nostril with cirrus present only on posterior rim. Overall olive brown, nape with transverse pair of dark spots, body with series of 5-8 blackish ocelli (in pairs with distinct margin) and scattered smaller white spots streaks. Eyes brown but bright white on lower portion, and with narrow yellow ring around the pupil and yellow streaks on iris. Dark stripe from eyes to posterior edge of operculum. Operculum and lower cheek margin black. Spinous-dorsal fin with suprabasal stripe, fine and dusky (Ref. 5296, 90102). Fish from North West Cape North West Cape blanched in color but same color pattern (much like that from Christmas Island) but the ocelli are markedly lower in position on the body (Ref. 5296).

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 15; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 15 - 17; Vertebrae: 31 - 33

Adults inhabit coral reefs (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).

Ecsenius oculatus

Ecsenius oculus.—McKinney and Springer, 1976:12 [Type C, North West Cape, Western Australia].

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsal fin XII,13–15, deeply notched between spinous and segmented ray portions. Anal fin II,15–17. Pectoral fin 13. Segmented caudal–fin rays 13. Vertebrae 10 + 21–23. Dentary incisor teeth 47–60 (includes anterior canine teeth, which differ little, if at all, in appearance from incisors); posterior canines 1 on each side. Lateral line without vertical pairs of pores, terminating posteriorly at point between vertical from interspace between dorsal–fin spines 10 and 11 and vertical from first segmented ray (rarely anterior to spine 11). Cirrus present on posterior rim of anterior nostril; none on anterior rim.

Preserved Color: Important features include transverse pair of dark spots present on nape. Dark stripe extending from postorbital margin across opercle dorsally, often continuing on body anteriorly; no deep, short, dark stripe present just ventral to dorsal opercular portion of postorbital stripe. Dusky pigment ventroanterior to corners of mouth not blackish or remarkable. Side of body with 5–8 (modally 5–7) dark, pale–margined spots (ocelli), usually arranged in pairs; pale margin of each ocellus usually distinct, not coalesced with that of its fellow. Anteriormost ocellus usually positioned at or posterior to vertical from midbase of spinous dorsal fin. Distance between midline of body side (in area below segmented dorsal–fin rays) and ventral edge of dark portion of each ocellus equal to or greater than distance between dorsal edge of dark portion and dorsal body contour. Dark saddle–like spot at posteriormost end of dorsal fin often ocellus–like in appearance. Conspicuous, smaller ocelli not present on dorsal body contour dorsal to body ocelli. Venter of large or sexually mature males sprinkled with fine melanophores; venter of females and immature males unpigmented. Spinous–dorsal fin with fine, dusky suprabasal stripe.

Live Color (Plate 7: figure 1): Photographs in the files of T.F.H. Publications, Inc., of a live specimen at Christmas Island shows most of the dark areas on the head and body to be shades of olive brown, but the ocelli on the body range to almost black; pale areas (mostly dash–like) on body are white, mostly brilliant white dorsally and ventrally, with the most conspicuous such marks a spot at the posterior end of the dorsal fin and the area between the vertical pair of dark spots at the caudal–fin base; pale markings on the head vary from spot–like to stripe- and band–like, and are pearly white. The lower portion of the iris is bright white, most of the remainder is brown interrupted by yellow dashes, and there is a narrow yellow ring around the pupil. One specimen has the color pattern much paler, almost blanched. Allen (1985: fig. 383) gives a colored photograph of a freshly dead specimen from North West Cape. The color of this specimen is much like that of the Christmas Island specimen, but the dark spots on the body of the North West Cape specimen are much lower on the body—similar in position to the spots of E. oculus—than any specimen of E. oculatus I have examined or seen pictures of.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) and the middle coast of Western Australia.

COMPARISONS.—See section under Ecsenius paroculus.

ETYMOLOGY.—The specific name is a Latin word meaning “having eyes,” and refers to the dark, eye–like spots on the body.

HOLOTYPE.—WAM P.25368–023, male, 44 mm SL, lagoon reef off Tantabiddi Creek, North West Cape, Western Australia, 2–3 m, G.R. Allen, 25 June 1975.

PARATYPES.—Western Australia: WAM P.25368–023 (3 specimens: 32–37 mm SL), collected with the holotype; WAM P.25813–050 (1:24), South Muiron Island [NNW of North West Cape], [J.] B. Hutchins, 5 June 1977; USNM 261219 (4:30–41), N of Mangrove Bay, North West Cape, 21°57′S, 113°55′E, G.[R.] Allen and P. Berry, 26 May 1980; WAM P.27970–041 (1:39), off NW side of Isd., Pt. Quobba, 24°29′S, 113°25′E, 10–12 m, J.B. Hutchins et al., 26 April 1983; WAM P.26670–006 (3:39–47), bombie on inner side of Surf Point, Dirk Hartog Island, 26°08′S, 113°10′E, 2 m, [J.]B. Hutchins and N. Sarti, 14 April 1979; WAM P.27961.014 (1:53), S end of shallow reef area, Pt. Quobba, 24°29′S, 114°25′E, J.B. Hutchins, 20 April 1983; WAM P.25374–018 (9:26–33), lagoon off Tantabiddi Creek, North West Cape, 3–4 m, G.R. Allen, 2 July 1975; AMS I.19641–016 (2:35–38), North West Cape; G.[R.] Allen, 27 June 1975. Christmas Island (Indian Ocean): WAM P.26110–004 (24:18–36), Smith Point, 7–10 m, G.R. Allen and R. Steene, 4 June 1978; WAM P.26102–005 (1:26), Flying Fish Cove, 6–8 m, G.R. Allen and R. Steene, 30 May 1978.

Ecsenius oculatus, the ocular coralblenny, is a species of combtooth blenny in the genus Ecsenius. It is found in coral reefs in the western Indian ocean. It can reach a maximum length of 4.7 centimetres. Blennies in this species feed primarily off of plants, including benthic algae and weeds.