Antennablennius hypenetes ( Klunzinger, 1871 )

Estekani, Sanaz, Bogorodsky, Sergey V., Zajonz, Uwe, Hundt, Peter J., Siahsarvie, Roohollah & Aliabadian, Mansour, 2024, Mitochondrial DNA-based reassessment of Antennablennius Fowler (Blenniidae: Salariini) from the north-western Indian Ocean, with resurrection of A. persicus (Regan), Zootaxa 5501 (3), pp. 425-446 : 436

Antennablennius hypenetes ( Klunzinger, 1871)

Arabian Blenny

Figure 6 , Table 3

Blennius hypenetes Klunzinger, 1871: 492 ( Red Sea , Egypt, Al-Qusair; syntypes: ZIN 2645, ZMB 8024 & 10498).

Antennablennius hypenetes — Tortonese 1975: 184 (Gulf of Aden); Bath 1983: 61 (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman); Randall et al. 1994: 237 (Persian Gulf); Khalaf 2004: 45 ( Jordan); Lips et al. 2016: 67 ( Djibouti); Golani & Fricke 2018: 137 (Red Sea, listed); Eagderi et al. 2019: 40 (Persian Gulf, United Arab Emirates, listed).

Description. Dorsal-fin rays XII–XIII,16–20 (usually 18 or 19); anal-fin rays II,19–21 (usually 20); pectoral-fin rays 14; body depth 5.0– 6.2 in SL; lateral line ending below dorsal-fin spine III–VI; a pair of short cirri on nape; a long tentacle on anterior nostril projecting downward, which may reach to or below mouth; males with a fleshy blade-like crest dorsally on head beginning above anterior edge of eye; teeth in jaws incisiform, immovable, close-set, 33–39 in upper jaw and 21–34 in lower; dorsal fin weakly notched between spinous and soft portions (less than half the length of first soft ray). Size: Reaches 6.5 cm.

Coloration ( Fig. 6 ). Males yellowish brown dorsally, pale brownish grey ventrally, with irregular faint white blotches or groups of white spots dorsally on body; side of body with a longitudinal row of seven large dark brown spots, progressively smaller and more horizontally elongate posteriorly, and two longitudinal rows of small white to pale blue spots, most evident where within dark brown spots; head with a blackish bar from eye to upper lip, black spot below eye, and triangular black bar on chin at corner of mouth; few or numerous blackish dots on head below eye and on base of pectoral fin; nasal tentacle orange-yellow; spinous portion of dorsal fin with three oblique faint black bands, soft portion with small black and white spots; anal fin olive-green, basal one-third of fin darker, with a longitudinal row of small white spots in the middle fin, narrow submarginal band, and white margin; caudal fin dusky greenish, with spots on upper half of fin in males from the northern Red Sea; coloration of southern Red Sea population differs in having only a few dots ventrally on head and pectoral-fin base. Females similar but every second anal-fin ray black.

Distribution and habitat. Known from the Red Sea, where reported south from the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman , and Persian Gulf ( Bath 1983; Eagderi et al. 2019). An inshore species of rocky substrata and reef flats with algae, usually in areas with weak wave action.

Remarks. It is most similar to A. variopunctatus but differs in having a fleshy blade-like crest dorsally on head of males, head with a blackish bar from eye to upper lip, and head and body without red spots. Patzner et al. (2009b) listed A. sexfasciatus (von Bonde, 1923) as a valid species although Bath (1983) had provided evidence that it falls into the synonymy of A. hypenetes .

Material examined (n=11). Red Sea, Egypt: SMF 24781 , 33.0 mm SL, El-Quseir. Saudi Arabia : KAUMM 472 (tissue sample KAU17-129), 41.9 mm SL, male, Farasan Island ; KAUMM 473 (tissue sample KAU12-393), 33.6 mm SL, female, Farasan Island ; SMF 8230 , 26.5 mm SL ; SMF 35916 (tissue sample KAU12-392), 44.0 mm SL, male, Farasan Island ; SMF 35918 (tissue sample KAU14-585), 35.0 mm SL, female, Jeddah , Obhur ; SMF 35917 (tissue sample KAU17-128), 42.4 SL, male, Farasan Island . Eritrea , Dahlak Archipelago: SMF 13523 , 44.0 mm SL. Yemen : SMF 17061 , 2 specimens, 49.0 & 51.7 mm SL, Seba Isl .; SMF 29478 , 33.6 mm SL, Kamaran Archipelago .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Antennablennius hypenetes, A: male, Obhur, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; B: SMF 35918 (tissue sample 14-585), 35.0 mm SL, female, Obhur, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; C: SMF 39710 (tissue sample KAU17-129), 45.0 mm SL, male, Farasan Island, Saudi Arabia; D: 40.0 mm SL, Obhur, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photos by S.V. Bogorodsky.