Barred Blenny, Cirripectes polyzona (Bleeker 1868)
A Barred Blenny, Cirripectes polyzona, at American Samoa. Source: US National Parks Service (NPS). License: Public Domain
Summary:
Head reticulated with pale grey spots. Iris inner ring yellow, outer ring red. Body dark brown with 12 pale grey bars. Juvenile tan above, white to lavender below, with broad dark midlateral stripe, white eye bar, yellow spots on head underside and on operculum. No geographical variation recorded but secondary sexual dichromatism was found (Ref. 529, 90102). Three color pattern variation noted
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Cirripectes polyzona in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 May 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1901
Barred Blenny, Cirripectes polyzona (Bleeker 1868)
More Info
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Distribution |
Rowley Shoals, Western Australia, and the far northern Great Barrier Reef to Lizard Island, and reefs in the Coral Sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the Indo-west-central Pacific. Inhabits algal ridges and ridge crests between surge channels on exposed seaward reefs. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin XI-XIII,13-15, deeply incised above last spine, first spine almost equal to second; Anal fin II,14-16; Pectoral fin 15; Pelvic fin I,3; Caudal fin procurrent rays 9-12; Gill rakers 18-25; Vertebrae 10 + 19-20. Scales and scalelike flaps absent; lateral-line tubes 2-9 (usually 4-7), series ends below dorsal fin ray 7 or after; upper lip crenulae 32-45; lower lip smooth mesially, plicate laterally. Cephalic sensory pore system complex; 1 pore behind nuchal flap. Cirri supraorbital 4-15, nasal 5-24; nuchal 32-44. Nuchal cirri in 4 groups with slightly expanded nuchal flap. |
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Feeding |
Feeds on algae and minute invertebrates such as forams, ostracods, and gastropods. |
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Remarks |
This species is often misidentified as Cirripectes sebae which does not occur in Australian waters. |
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Etymology |
The specific name polyzona is from the Greek polys (= many) and zona (= band, belt) in reference to the barred color pattern of adults. |
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Species Citation |
Salarias polyzona Bleeker 1868, Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen (Afdeeling Natuurjunde). Amsterdam 2(2): 278. Type locality: Aroe Island, Ambon, Indonesia. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2022 |
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Resources |
Barred Blenny, Cirripectes polyzona (Bleeker 1868)
References
Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91
Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21
Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.
Bleeker, P. 1868. Description de deux espèces nouvelles de Blennioïdes de l'Inde Archipelagique. Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen (Afdeeling Natuurjunde). Amsterdam 2(2): 228-280
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.
Williams, J.T. 1988. Revision and phylogenetic relationships of the blenniid fish genus Cirripectes. Indo-Pacific Fishes 17: 1-78 figs 1-21 col. pls 1-7
Williams, J.T. 2014. Cirripectes polyzona. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T48342248A48363336. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T48342248A48363336.en. Accessed on 27 June 2022.
