Tripterygiidae

Hastings, Philip A. & Springer, Victor G., 2009, Recognizing diversity in blennioid fish nomenclature (Teleostei: Blennioidei), Zootaxa 2120, pp. 3-14 : 11

Tripterygiidae

20) Tripterygion . Zander (1986b) recognized two subspecies of Tripterygion melanurus Guichenot , the nominate from the eastern and southern Mediterranean including the Balearics (type locality: Algeria), and T. m. minor Kolombatovic from the northern Mediterranean (type locality: Split, Dalmatia) based on coloration (caudal peduncle spot present in melanurus , absent in minor ). Zander (1986b) also noted the occurrence of hybrid populations and a recent genetic study ( Carreras-Carbonell et al., 2005) found no differences in these two and did not recommend retaining their nomenclatural distinction. Thus, T. minor is considered a junior synonym of T. melanurus in accordance with Fricke (1997).

21) Tripterygion . Zander (1986b) recognized Tripterygion delaisi delaisi Cadenat & Blache from the eastern Atlantic excluding the Mediterranean Sea (type locality: Gorée, Senegal), and T. d. xanthosoma Zander & Heymer from the Mediterranean (type locality: Banyuls-sur-Mer, France). These forms reportedly differ in courtship behavior and ecology. Wirtz (1990) and Fricke (1997) considered the latter a synonym of the former. Recent genetic studies ( Carreras-Carbonell et al., 2005; Domingues et al., 2007) found evidence of two lineages, however, it is not clear that the genetic differences parallel the phenotypic (and nomenclatural) differences. Consequently, resolution of the status of these forms awaits further study ( Domingues et al., 2007).