Helcogramma McCulloch & Waite, 1918

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 : 54

Genus Helcogramma McCulloch & Waite, 1918

Helcogramma McCulloch & Waite, 1918: 51 ; type species H. decurrens McCulloch & Waite, 1918 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized tripterygiid fishes with fusiform bodies, ranging in length from 27 mm to 50 mm SL. First dorsal fin with 3 spines; anal fin with a single, short spine, usually less than half the length of the first ray. Pelvic fins with one short, hidden spine and two simple, segmented rays, which may be joined by membrane for part of their length. Dentary canals with 1 or (rarely) 2 pores at the symphysis, or 3–5 pores arranged symmetrically about the symphysis, and 2–8 on either side along the dentaries. Exposed posterior margin of post-temporal bones with fine serrations. Body with ctenoid scales; nape naked or scaled; abdomen and pectoral-fin bases always naked. Head always without scales. LL continuous, of 14–35 pored scales, running in a shallow, downwardly concave curve from the post-temporal to mid-body and extending to below the second dorsal fin or to the base of the caudal fin. Base of caudal fin with 0–3 rows of scales. Orbital cirrus absent in some species, if present simple to palmate. Anterior nasal cirri simple to palmate, on posterior margin of a short tube. Teeth in both jaws, conical and slightly recurved, largest in single row in front; vomer with single row of similar teeth; palatines edentate.

The genus currently consists of 38 valid species, two in the Red Sea. Eschmeyer & Fricke (2011) lists only 37 species, the validity of Helcogramma ascensionis Lubbock, 1980 not being recognised, while it is a valid species (Holleman, unpubl. data).