Fourline Combtooth Blenny, Ecsenius aequalis Springer 1988


Other Names: Fourline Blenny, Fourline Coral Blenny

A Fourline Combtooth Blenny, Ecsenius aequalis, in the Lizard Island area, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Source: Rick Stuart-Smith / Lizard Island Field Guide http://lifg.australianmuseum.net.au/Hierarchy.html. License: CC BY Attribution

Summary:
A greyish to tan blenny with four narrow black stripes or dotted lines along the body, including one along the dorsal-fin base.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Ecsenius aequalis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1058

Fourline Combtooth Blenny, Ecsenius aequalis Springer 1988

More Info


Distribution

Far northern Great Barrier Reef to the Swains Reef, and reefs in the Coral Sea, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in Papua New Guinea.

Features

Dorsal fin XII,13-15; Anal fin 11,14-17; Pectoral fin 12-14; Segmented caudal-fin rays 13; Vertebrae 10 + 21-23.
Dentary incisor teeth (includes anterior canine teeth, which differ little, if at all, in appearance from incisors) 42-51; posterior dentary canines (specimens at least 25 mm SL) 4-8 on each side (only two of 52 specimens had 8, unilaterally; specimens 20 mm SL or less have 0-4). Lateral line without pairs of pores, terminating posteriorly at point between vertical from dorsal-fin spine 9 and vertical from interspace between spines 11 and 12 (rarely reaching past vertical from spine 11). Cirrus present on posterior rim of anterior nostril; none on anterior rim.

Etymology

The specific name is from the Latin aequalis (= equal) in reference to the approximately equal spacing of the dorsal and ventral stripes relative to the middle stripe.

Species Citation

Ecsenius aequalis Springer 1988, Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 465: 115, fig. 62, pl. 14(3, 4). Type locality: Escape Reef, Queensland.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2020

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Fourline Combtooth Blenny, Ecsenius aequalis Springer 1988

References


Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs. 

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Springer, V.G. 1988. The Indo-Pacific Blenniid fish genus Ecsenius. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 465: 1-134 figs 1-68 pls 1-14 https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.465

Springer, V.G. 1991. Ecsenius randalli, a new species of blenniid fish from Indonesia, with notes on other species of Ecsenius. Tropical Fish Hobbyist 39(12): 100-113.

Springer, V.G. 2001. Blenniidae. pp. 3538-3546 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Springer, V.G. & Allen, G.R. 2004. Ecsenius caeruliventris and E. shirleyae, two new species of blenniid fishes from Indonesia, and new distribution records for other species of Ecsenius. Zootaxa 791: 1-12.

Williams, J.T. 2014. Ecsenius aequalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T48342307A48406054. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T48342307A48406054.en. Downloaded on 04 November 2020.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37408019

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:0-12 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:4.3 cm TL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map