Tripterygiidae

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 : 38-39

Key to the males of Red Sea species of Tripterygiidae

1a. First dorsal fin with three spines; no scales on head...........................................................2

1b. First dorsal fin with four spines; head with scales........................................... Norfolkia brachylepis

2a. LL divided into anterior section of pored scales and posterior section of notched scales.............................. 4

2b. LL only of pored scales, ending below second or third dorsal fin................................................ 3

3a. Males red in life, head dark with broad, pale blue mark above lip and on lower preopercle; females translucent greenish; body with indistinct brownish-red bars and scattered blotches; membrane of first dorsal fin of both sexes cream with reddish mark- ings and many micro-melanophores; dentary pores 3 + 1–2 + 3; underwater males with indistinct brownish-red bars and scat- tered blotches........................................................................ Helcogramma steinitzi

3b. Males dark grey to dark red in life; lower half of head with many melanophores and bright blue line from corner of mouth, angling posteroventrally across cheek onto preopercle; both sexes with distinct, irregular bright red bars; first dorsal-fin mem- brane translucent with some iridescence; dentary pores 4 + 1 + 4; underwater with distinct irregular, bright red bars in both sexes, first dorsal-fin membrane translucent with some iridescence......................... Helcogramma obtusirostris

4a. Body and anal fin with bars.............................................................................. 5

4b. Body without bars; anal fin with narrow bars or without bars................................................... 6

5a. Body with four dark bars usually divided below LL and continuing onto anal fin, and two paler bars below pectoral fin; nape

and belly scaled; yellow and brown in life................................................ Enneapterygius clarkae 5b. Body with dark bars, darkest across peduncle, with black spots above and often below; anal fin with five oblique black bars, prominent subcutaneous black spots at base of anal fin, and black pre-anal spot; belly without scales; pinkish in life........................................................................................... Enneapterygius destai 6a. Anal fin with narrow bars............................................................................... 7

6b. Anal fin without bars................................................................................... 9

7a. First dorsal fin of males higher than second................................................................. 8

7b. First dorsal fin subequal to second; head of males dark olive, body olive green with white blotches, anal fin barred black and white....................................................................... Enneapterygius ventermaculus

8a. Third dorsal fin with 8–9 rays; supraoccipital sensory canal ‘C’-shaped (A); all pectoral-fin rays simple; in life base of ventral fins and fins white, head and body speckled with orange, first dorsal fin with crimson........... Enneapterygius altipinnis

8b. Third dorsal fin with 10–11 rays; supraoccipital sensory canal ‘U’-shaped (B); base of ventral fins and proximal part of rays black in males; some pectoral-fin rays divided; in life face red, first dorsal fin yellow and sometimes very tall............................................................................................... Enneapterygius pusillus

9a. Nape scaled, anal fin with fewer than 20 rays............................................................... 10

9b. Nape naked, anal fin with 21–22 rays................................................... Enneapterygius pallidus

10a. Dentary pores 2 + 2 + 2................................................................................ 11

10b. Dentary pores 3 + 1 + 3, males bright yellow in life, head with many melanophores to solid black, females with body scales edged in orange-brown, forming narrow irregular bars; orange bar below eye...................... Enneapterygius abeli

11a. Small black spot on upper caudal peduncle; no patch of melanophores on dorsum; anterior LL scales 10–12; males translucent and red in life, first dorsal fin white to cream, females translucent, scales edged in pink........... Enneapterygius obscurus

11b. No black spot on upper caudal peduncle; small oval patch of melanophores on dorsum between 3rd and 4th dorsal-fin spines; anterior LL scales 8–10; crimson in life, first dorsal fin crimson anteriorly with gold spots, and white posteriorly, males with rectangular blotch of melanophores on midside, below second dorsal fin................. Enneapterygius qirmiz sp. nov.