Kingdom Animalia Class Actinopterygii Family Tripterygiidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Perciformes Genus Enneapterygius | |
Enneapterygius ventermaculus, known commonly as the Blotched triplefin, is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Enneapterygius. It was described by Holleman in 1982.
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Description
The blotched triplefins are about 4 cm long. The males have black heads and yellow fins. The bodies are patterned with black and white blotches. There are 14 to 16 dorsal spines with 8 to 10 soft dorsal rays. There is an anal spine and 17 to 20 anal soft rays.
Distribution
The blotched triplefin is found in the Western Indian Ocean from the coast of Pakistan to the Durban region of South Africa.
Biology
Little information is available in the literature about this particular species of triplefin blenny. There are several other species in the family that give hints to their likely behavior and life style. Triplefin blennies are small, large-eyed fish that live in shallow coastal waters around the world. They are residents of rocky shore communities
Males are territorial and attract females to their home ranges. In two species, males have been observed to spawn parasitically on females in other males' territories and it is possible this behavior will eventually be seen in the blotched triplefin as well.