Hawaiian blackhead triplefin
Encyclopedia
The Hawaiian blackhead triplefin (Enneapterygius atriceps), also known as the Hawaiian triplefin in Hawaii
, is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Enneapterygius
. It is a tropical blenny found in coral reef
s in the Pacific Ocean
, from the Hawaiian Islands
, French Frigate Shoals
, Laysan Island, and Midway Atoll
. Blennies in this species swim at a depth range of 1-23 metres, and inhabit dead coral and rock.
It was originally described by O.P. Jenkins in 1903, as a species of Tripterygion
, but was reassigned to Enneapterygius by R. Fricke in 1997.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Enneapterygius
Enneapterygius
Enneapterygius is a genus of triplefins in the family Tripterygiidae.-Species:* Yellow triplefin, Enneapterygius abeli .* Highfin triplefin, Enneapterygius altipinnis Clark, 1980....
. It is a tropical blenny found in coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, from the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, French Frigate Shoals
French Frigate Shoals
The French Frigate Shoals is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals...
, Laysan Island, and Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
. Blennies in this species swim at a depth range of 1-23 metres, and inhabit dead coral and rock.
It was originally described by O.P. Jenkins in 1903, as a species of Tripterygion
Tripterygion
Tripterygion is a genus of triplefins in the family Tripterygiidae.-Species:* Tripterygion delaisi Cadenat & Blache, 1970 - Black-faced blenny* Tripterygion melanurus Guichenot, 1850...
, but was reassigned to Enneapterygius by R. Fricke in 1997.
Description
The Hawaiian blackhead triplefin is considered part of the Enneapterygius hemimelas species group. It is considered a small or medium member of the group, with males reaching a maximum length of 2.6 centimetres. Males can be distinguished from females by their dark head colouring.External links
- Enneapterygius atriceps at www.fishwise.co.za
- Enneapterygius atriceps at www.discoverlife.org
- Enneapterygius atriceps at www.marinelifephotography.com
- Enneapterygius atriceps at ITISItisItis may refer to* Integrated Taxonomic Information System, a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species...
- Enneapterygius atriceps at World Register of Marine SpeciesWorld Register of Marine SpeciesThe World Register of Marine Species is a database that hopes to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialists on each group of organism. These taxonomists control the quality of the...