Related FAQs: True Blennies, Combtooth Blennies 2, Blenny Identification, Blenny Behavior, Blenny Compatibility, Blenny Selection, Blenny Systems, Blenny Feeding, Blenny Disease, Blenny Reproduction, Algae-eating Blennies, Ecsenius Blennies, Saber-Tooth Blennies, Blennioids & their Relatives, Tube/Pike/Flag Blennies/Chaenopsidae, Related Articles: True or Combtooth Blennies, Blennioids and their Relatives, Algae Eating Blennies, Ecsenius Blennies, Sabertooth Blennies, Family Blenniidae/Tribe Nemophini, Algae Control, Triplefin Blennioids, Tube/Pike/Flag Blennies/Chaenopsidae, /The Conscientious Marine Aquarist Blennioids of Indonesia

Bob Fenner

Genus Aspidontus:

Aspidontus dussumieri (Valenciennes 1836), the Lance Blenny. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa to Micronesia. To 12 cm. Shy, often backing into holes to hide. Here in N. Sulawesi.  http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus=Aspidontus&Species=dussumieri

Aspidontus taeniatus Quoy & Gaimard 1834, the False Cleaner. Mimicking Labroides dimidiatus in both color, markings and behavior, the False Cleaner sneaks up on unsuspecting victims and takes a bite out of their flesh or scales. This fish is discernible from its wrasse look-alike mainly by its sub-terminal (underslung) mouth. As you might guess, rarely offered (by accident) in the trade/hobby. Nuka Hiva, Marquesas image on left, Labroides on juveniles at right. Adult in a typical hiding hole in S. Sulawesi below. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Aspidontus&Species=taeniatus

Genus Atrosalarias: Monotypic (one species).

Atrosalarias fuscus (Ruppell 1838), the Brown Combtooth Blenny (though it can be yellow, very dark...). A popular reef aquarium fish for its prodigious filamentous algae feeding. Western Indian Ocean; Red Sea to Pakistan. To about four inches in length. At right: One in S. Sulawesi. Below: Two aquarium images and one in Pulau Redang, Malaysia. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Country/ CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm? Country=Indonesia&Genus= Atrosalarias&Species=fuscus%20fuscus

Genus Meiacanthus:

Meiacanthus atrodorsalis (Gunther 1877), the Yellowtail Fangblenny. Western Pacific; W. Australia to Micronesia, Samoa. To 11 cm. Off Queensland, Australia and N. Sulawesi, Indonesia. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Meiacanthus&Species=atrodorsalis

Meiacanthus grammistes (Valenciennes 1836), the Striped Poison Fang Blenny. West Pacific; Indo-China to Micronesia. To a little over in four inches maximum length. One in Bunaken/Indonesia, the other in captivity. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Meiacanthus&Species=grammistes

Genus Petroscirtes:

Petroscirtes breviceps (Valenciennes 1836), the Shorthead Sabretooth Blenny or Striped Poison-Fang Blenny Mimic. A mimic of Meiacanthus grammistes (see above) (most easily told apart by Petroscirtes underslung mouth). Indo-West Pacific; East Africa to the Micronesians. To 11 cm. Can and will bite if handled. N. Sulawesi pic.

Petroscirtes mitratus Ruppell 1830, the Floral or High Fin Blenny. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to Samoa. To a little under three inches in length. This two inch one photographed in the Maldives.

Genus Plagiotremus:

Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos (Bleeker 1852), the Bluestripe Fangblenny. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to Micronesians. To almost five inches in length. Bites scales off of other fishes, and even nips divers... Not a pleasant tankmate. Juveniles mimic the Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus: At right in N. Sulawesi. Shown below, a juvenile in Indonesia, a yellowish variety in the Maldives and adult in the Red Sea. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Plagiotremus&Species=rhinorhynchos

Plagiotemus tapeinosoma (Bleeker 1857), the Piano Fangblenny. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to the Line Islands. To five and a half inches in length. Some in the upper Red Sea and Queensland who bit me.

Genus Ecsenius: 

Ecsenius bandanus Springer 1971,  the Banda Combtooth Blenny. To 3.4 cm. Western Pacific; Indonesia and New Guinea. Here i Wakatobi in Sulawesi/Indonesia.  http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Ecsenius&Species=bandanus

Ecsenius pictus McKinney & Springer 1976, the White-line Combtooth Blenny. To 5 cm. Western Central Pacific. Here in Wakatobi, southern Sulawesi. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=7669&genusname= Ecsenius&speciesname=pictus

Ecsenius bicolor (Day 1888), the Bicolor Blenny. Indo-Pacific, Maldives to Micronesia. To about four inches in length. Two at a wholesalers. A very popular marine aquarium fish... for peaceful reef systems.  http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Ecsenius&Species=bicolor

Ecsenius trilineatus Springer 1972, the Three Lined Blenny. To 3 cm.  Western Central Pacific; New Guinea, Moluccas, Solomons, Indo. This one off Sulawesi. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Ecsenius&Species=trilineatus

 Triplefins, Family Tripterygiidae:

Enneapterygius mirabilis Fricke 1994, Miracle Triplefin. 2.7 cm. SW Pacific. S. Sulawesi pix. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Enneapterygius&Species=mirabilis

Helcogramma gymnauchen (Weber 1909), the Yellow-Lip Triplefin. Tropical West Pacific; Indonesia, PNG, Northern Australia. To 4 cm. Lives on reefs, algal covered areas, feeding on tiny invertebrates. N. Sulawesi pic of one on a Plerogyra "bubble" with a copepod parasite on its back.

Helcogramma striata Hansen 1986, the Tropical Striped Triplefin. Western Pacific; Southern Japan, Philippines to Australia, Solomon Islands. To about an inch and three quarters length. Found commonly on corals and sponges. This one off of Pulau Redang, Malaysia.

Ucla xenogrammus Holleman 1993, Largemouth Triplefin. To 4.7 cm. Western Pacific.  S. Sulawesi pix. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=Indonesia&Genus= Ucla&Species=xenogrammus