Larval development of five species of blenny (Teleostei: Blenniidae) from the western central North Atlantic, with a synopsis of blennioid family characters

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Ditty, J. G., Shaw, R. F., Fuiman, L. A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2005
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2005.00675.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.0022-1112.2005.00675.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2005.00675.x

Light trap collections on oil and gas platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana from 1995 to 1997 contained young of tessellated blenny Hypsoblennius invemar , freckled blenny Hypsoblennius ionthas , featherduster blenny Hypleurochilus multifilis , molly miller Scartella cristata and seaweed blenny Parablennius marmoreus , which are described. Interspecific differences were: number of dorsal, anal, pelvic and caudal fin elements; number of mandibular pores; presence or absence of canine teeth, hypural 5 and pectoral fin pigment; width of gill openings; length of preopercular spines (in larvae). Size at settlement differed among some taxa, but all five species settled within a narrow size window of c . 1·5 mm standard length ( L S ). Hypsoblennius invemar , H. ionthas , H. multifilis and S. cristata settled at mean sizes between 11·3 and 12·1 mm L S , whereas P. marmoreus settled at a mean size of 19·3 mm L S . Sexually dimorphic differences were consistently evident by 17–18 mm L S in all species but P. marmoreus . The two smallest blennies with external characters normally associated with sexual maturity were a 20 mm male and 21 mm female H. multifilis . Primary caudal fin rays began to bifurcate between 17·0 and 18·3 mm L S in H. invemar , H. ionthas , H. multifilis and S. cristata . Hypleurochilus multifilis displayed the external characteristics of being sexually mature at 20–21 mm L S . Thus, bifurcation of primary caudal fin rays was an indicator of approaching sexual maturity in H. multifilis and this may also be true in the other species studied.