Bath's Comb Tooth

Two distinct forms between the two sexes. Males are with red stripes while females have black stripes and a yellowish head (Ref. 48636).

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Found in reef crests with large rounded corals (Ref. 8631, 48636), or encrusted sponges to about 10 m depth. Females are commonly seen and seem to outnumber males (Ref. 48636).

Found at depths of 3-25 m, solitary or in small groups around sponges and tunicates on coral outcrops (Ref. 90102) and in reef crests with large rounded corals (Ref. 8631, 48636), or encrusted sponges to about 10 m depth. Females are commonly seen and seem to outnumber males (Ref. 48636). Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114).

aquarium: commercial

Ecsenius bathi

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsal fin XI or XII,12–14 (XI, 12, and 14, separately, once each in ten specimens), deeply notched between spinous and segmented-ray portions. Anal fin II,14 or 15. Pectoral fin 13–14 (14 in only one of nine specimens). Caudal fin 13. Vertebrae 10 + 20–22. Dentary incisor teeth 35–43 (includes anterior canine teeth, which differ little, if at all, in appearance from incisors); posterior canines one on each side. Lateral line without vertical pairs of pores, terminating posteriorly at point between verticals from interspace between dorsal-fin spines 9 and 10 and spine 11. Cirrus present on posterior rim of anterior nostril; none on anterior rim.

Preserved Color: Banded Pattern (6 males, one female): Head darkly dusky dorsal to mid-orbital level, much paler below; dark stripe extends posteriorly across head from mid-postorbital margin, enters body and almost immediately intensifies and forms blotch-like expansion; fine, short, dark line extends posteriorly from postorbital margin just dorsal to mid-postorbital stripe, another dark line at about one o’clock position on postorbital margin, a longer dark line in mid-interorbital area; deep, diffusely pale, area (stripe) between dark mid-postorbital stripe and ventral level of orbit extends across head and enters body; deep, diffusely dusky stripe below diffusely pale stripe extends across head onto fleshy pectoral-fin base; lower lip darkly dusky, remainder of ventral head surface faintly dusky in males, immaculate in female. Body with up to 10 narrow, dusky bands extending ventrally from dorsal body contour: three or four below spinous portion, one between spinous and segmented-ray portions, four or five below segmented-ray portion; bands may have slightly less dusky margins; bands below segmented-ray portion of dorsal fin interrupted by pair of slender, diffusely dusky stripes extending posteriorly from dark blotch-like marking at dorsoanterior origin of body (same stripes margin salmon-orange stripe in life); number of bands below pair of stripes is one less than on dorsal body contour; another pair of faintly dusky stripes (also enclose a salmon-orange stripe in life), similar in appearance to those just described, extend posteriorly from pectoral-fin axil (body bands extend no further ventrally than ventralmore of pair); body abruptly pale ventral to ventralmore stripe of pair. Dorsal fin with diffuse sprinkling of melanophores basally and along elements. Anal fin of males more-or-less uniformly dusky anteriorly, becoming immaculate posteriorly; female with slender, dusky, subdistal stripe. Caudal fin with sprinkling of melanophores along rays. Pectoral fins dusky basally. Pelvic fins of males evenly dusky, female immaculate.

Striped Pattern (2 males, 1 female): Differs from banded form in having two nearly black, slender stripes on body, each covering area of pair of dusky stripes as described in banded form; stripes clearly entering caudal fin basally; a third, somewhat inapparent, dark stripe courses along the body contour below the dorsal fin in one of the two specimens; only four or five broad, extremely faint or diffuse bands restricted essentially to pale area between dark stripes; subdistal stripe in the anal fin almost black; dusky stripe on fleshy pectoral-fin base.

Live Color (from color photographs taken in wild; Plate 11: figures 5, 6): Banded form has dark postorbital stripe margined with slender, brilliant-white stripes, which pass through iris and around snout; cheeks below postorbital stripe pale gray, continuing as white on fleshy pectoral-fin base; body stripes and bands dusky gray anteriorly becoming salmon orange posteriorly; spaces between stripes and bands white; dorsal fin immaculate, anal fin broadly salmon orange distally, pale yellow basally. Striped form has bright dusky-yellow head with slender, brilliant-yellow stripes margining dark postorbital stripe; brilliant-yellow stripes pass through eye and around snout; fleshy pectoral-fin base has blackish stripe dorsally, pale area ventrally; body stripes are black, including one along dorsal body contour; area between dorsal two stripes is slate gray, between next two stripes, paler gray, and below ventralmost stripe, even paler gray; fins immaculate except dark margining of elements.

COMPARISONS.—Within the Opsifrontalis Group, Ecsenius bathi appears to be most closely related to E. dilemma and E. axelrodi. These three species share the presumed synapomorphy of having two distinctly different color patterns: banded and striped. Among the three species, the preserved color pattern of E. bathi is most similar to that of E. dilemma. The striped forms of these two species are indistinguishable in preserved specimens, and the banded form of E. bathi appears to be but a greatly faded version of that of E. dilemma. Life coloration, so far as known, is quite different, particularly that of the banded forms. The banded form of E. bathi exhibits much more orange in the bands than either of the other two species. On first seeing the color photographs of the banded form of E. bathi, and without having preserved specimens available, I thought the photograph was of E. australianus. The head of striped forms of E. bathi and E. axelrodi, aside from the dark postorbital stripe, is yellowish, whereas that of E. dilemma is dusky pinkish. The striped forms of all three species have brilliant-yellow stripes margining the dark postorbital stripe. The same brilliant stripes in the banded form of E. bathi and E. axelrodi are white, whereas they are pale yellow in E. dilemma. It is possible that there is variation in these head colors, and forms of all three species may exhibit similar life coloration. (See also “Comparisons” under E. dilemma for further comments on these three species.)

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from Bali and Toko Toko Rock or Island (N of NE corner of Komodo), Indonesia.

ETYMOLOGY.—Named for Dr. Hans Bath, prominent student of blenniid systematics, who brought the first specimens to my attention and permitted me to describe the species.

HOLOTYPE.—USNM 277665, male, 29.6 mm SL, Indonesia, Bali, “Liberty Wrack” [about 15 km NW of E tip of Bali; “wrack” is German for “wreck”], depth 7 m, R. Patzner, April, 1984.

PARATYPES.—SMF 17100, male, 25.1 mm SL; NMW 81944, male, 24.6 mm SL; both from Liberty Wrack. Female, fixed in Bouin's solution, deossified, sectioned, now in two pieces (personal collection of Dr. Robert Patzner, Zoologisches Institut der Universität, Salzburg, Austria) and SMF 17096, female, 30.5 mm SL (striped pattern), both from Bali, Padang Bay [about 25 km SW of E tip of Bali], R. Patzner, 1984. BPBM 31533, male, 30.5 mm SL (striped pattern), and BPBM 31535, three males, 28.2–36.4 mm SL, Toko Toko Rock, N of NE corner of Komodo, rubble and coral bottom, depth 6 m, J.E. Randall, 12 October 1986. CAS 59521, male, 27.7 mm SL (striped pattern), Toko Toko Island, depth 30–40 ft [9.1–12.2 m], J.E. McCosker et al., 15 September 1986.

分布於西中太平洋區，由印尼、馬來西亞至南中國海。台灣分布於南沙太平島海域。

小型魚類，色彩豔麗，是受歡迎的水族用魚。

體延長，稍側扁，似圓柱狀；頭鈍短。前鼻孔具一鼻鬚；無眼上鬚及頸鬚。D. XII, 16-18; A. II, 17-21; P. 12-14; V. I, 3。齒骨後方具一犬齒。背鰭具缺刻；背鰭、臀鰭最後軟條與尾柄以鰭膜相連；尾鰭鰭條均不分支。雌雄雙色，雄魚頭部橘紅，體側縱帶紅褐色；雌魚頭部黃色，體側縱帶黑色。

主要棲息於潮間帶至水深約10公尺的礁石區，經常可見其停棲於大圓礁或海綿的頂端。雌性魚較常見，數量似乎多於雄魚。以藻類為食。

Ecsenius bathi, known commonly as the Bath's comb-tooth, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western central Pacific ocean. The specific name honours the German ichthyologist Hans Bath (1924-2015) who was a notable worker on blennies and who brought this species to Springer's attention and allowed him to describe it.