Enneapterygius Rüppell, 1835

Holleman, Wouter & Bogorodsky, Sergey V., 2012, A review of the blennioid fish family Tripterygiidae (Perciformes) in the Red Sea, with description of Enneapterygius qirmiz, and reinstatement of Enneapterygius altipinnis Clark, 1980, Zootaxa 3152, pp. 36-60 : 39

Genus Enneapterygius Rüppell, 1835

Enneapterygius Rüppell, 1835: 2 ; type species Enneapterygius pusillus Rüppell, 1835 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Small fishes with fusiform bodies, generally less than 25 mm SL in the Western Indian Ocean. First dorsal fin with III spines, second with XI–XIV spines, third with 8–11 simple rays, except for last which is divided to its base; anal fin with a single short spine and 15–22 simple rays, except for the last which is divided to its base; pelvic fins with one short, hidden spine and two simple rays, often partially joined by membrane. LL with an anterior section of pored scales and a posterior section of scales with a notch in the posterior margin, starting from 1–2 scale rows below end of pored section and continuing to base of caudal fin. Head without scales; nape scaled, partially scaled or naked, belly naked in most species. Supratemporal sensory canal either an open ‘C’-shape, ‘U’- shape, or an open ‘U’-shape, curving around the first dorsal-fin spine (see figure in Key above). Orbital and anterior nasal cirri simple, the nasal cirrus on the posterior edge of a short tube. Teeth fixed, conical and slightly recurved, larger in front; vomer with a single row of teeth, palatines without. Currently 61 recognised species, nine species in the Red Sea.