Collete'S Blenny

Description: Dorsal fin XII,14-15; anal fin II,16; pectoral rays 13; pelvic fin I,3; segmented caudal-fin rays 13. Male caudal-fin rays (dorsal and ventral) elongate. Vertebrae 10 + 21-22, incisors and canines look very similar, 45-50; posterior canines 1 on each side. Lateral line short, without pores, terminates below dorsal-fin spines 8-10. Anterior nostril with short cirrus on posterior rim only. Head dusky above eye and almost white below; pupil ringed with yellow, iris with yellow streaks. Body pale milky grey-brown, with 3 rows of black spots, dorsal contour with about 7 in a row, first spot at first dorsal spine, last spot at segmented-ray portion; middle row of 8-11 spots from operculum to caudal-fin base; another row of 6-9 spots ventrally (Ref. 5296, 90102). Males may be distinguished from females by the color pattern on ventral surface of head. Easily distinguished from closely related species (of the Prooculis Group) by its unique color pattern (Ref. 5296). Body depth 4.2 in SL, at origin of anal-fin (Ref. 90102).

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 15; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 16; Vertebrae: 31 - 32

Adults inhabit lagoons and silty coastal reefs at 1-10 m deep, and found solitary or in small groups on coral outcrops (Ref. 90102). 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).

Ecsenius (Ecsenius) collettei

DESCRIPTION.–Dorsal fin XII, 14–15; anal fin II, 16; pectoral fin 13; segmented caudal fin rays 13; dorsal procurrent caudal fin rays 7–8; ventral procurrent caudal fin rays 7–8; total caudal fin elements 27–28; lower jaw incisor teeth 45–50; lower jaw posterior canines 1, each side; vertebrae 10+21–22; epipleural ribs 12–14; lateral line with no paired pores, extending posteriorly to below 8th–10th dorsal fin spine; dorsal fin notched eight-ninths to nine-ninths length first dorsal fin ray; third, innermost, pelvic fin ray varying from obvious to reduced and obscured; one cirrus on each anterior nostril. (For proportions see Table 3.)

COLOR PATTERN (males and females).–Side of head with one or two small dark spots near posterior margin of orbit, larger spot on dorsal portion of opercle; underside of head plain dusky or with two elongate, curved dark marks, each with or without slightly disjunct dark spot just anterior. Sides of body with two longitudinal rows of dark spots, 10–11 spots in upper row, 6–9 in lower row; rows may continue to caudal base or terminate on caudal peduncle with dark spot at midcaudal base between rows. Fleshy pectoral fin base dusky dorsally, paler ventrally. Rayed portion of dorsal fin with suprabasal dusky stripe; other fins varying from immaculate to dusky.

RELATIONSHIPS.–Ecsenius collettei is a member of the prooculis subgroup of the yaeyamaensis species group (Springer, 1971:13). The four species of this subgroup (E. prooculis, E. biamaculatus, E. bandanus, E. collettei) differ from each other only in particulars of their strikingly different color patterns (see key; the three previously described species are illustrated in Springer, 1971, figs. 33–35).

REMARKS.–In my discussion of the species of the prooculis subgroup (Springer, 1971:39) I noted that the distribution of the three species then known correlated well with zoogeographic patterns exhibited by terrestrial organisms, based on the biogeographical subdivisions of the islands of the tropical western Pacific Ocean (Thorne, 1963:322). I predicted that additional species in the prooculis subgroup could be expected if the distributions of the three known species were indicative. The distribution of E. collettei furnishes additional support for Thorne’s subdivisions. E. collettei occurs in the Papuan Province of the Papuan Subregion of the Oriental Region.

In breaking the Oriental (tropical) Region of the western Pacific into separate biotic areas, Thorne divided the region into subregions, provinces, and districts. Not all provinces were broken into districts. The four species of the prooculis subgroup occur in three different subregions. E. bandanus and E. collettei occur in different provinces of one subregion (no districts indicated for the provinces); E. prooculis occurs in both the districts of one province of another subregion; and E. bimaculatus occurs in one of the four districts of one of the provinces of the third subregion. Based on the fact that there remain other subregions, provinces and districts from which no member of the prooculis subgroup is known, one can continue to expect undescribed species of the subgroup to appear in the future.

HOLOTYPE.–USNM 206379, male, 29.7 mm SL, New Guinea, bay in Krankett Island, Madang Harbour, 1.6–8.2 m, collected by B. B. Collette, et al., 30 May 1970.

PARATYPES.–USNM 206380, male, 30.0 mm SL, taken with the holotype; USNM 205701, male, 21.6 mm SL, New Guinea, south end of Beliau Island, Madang Harbour, New Guinea, 0–6.6 m, collected by B. B. Collette, et al., 22 May 1970; USNM 205702, male and female, 29.7–31.7 mm SL, New Guinea, inlet on harbor side of Krankett Island, 0–3.3 m, collected by B. B. Collette, et al., 23 May 1970.

ETYMOLOGY.–Named for Bruce B. Collette, whose New Guinea collections of fishes provided many important blenniid specimens, including those described above.

Revised Key to the Subgenera and Species of Ecsenius

Ecsenius collettei, known commonly as the Collete's blenny in Papua New Guinea, is a species of combtooth blenny in the genus Ecsenius. It is found in coral reefs in the western central Pacific ocean, specifically in Papua New Guinea. It can reach a maximum length of 5 centimetres. The blennies feed primarily off of plants, and benthic algae and weeds. he specific name honours Bruce B. Collette the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service Systematics Laboratory, whose collection of fish specimens from New Guinea contained a number important blenniid specimens, one of which was this species.