Alloblennius pictus (Lotan 1970)

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

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).

Alloblennius pictus (Lotan)

Rhabdoblennius pictus Lotan, 1970, p. 376 [original description; type-locality; Eilat, Gulf of Aqaba].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.–HUI E63/37.1 (male, 25.6 mm SL), holotype, Eilat, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, 4 July 1963, A. Ben-Tuvia; USNM 204523 (3, 14.0-35.4) and USNM 204525 (35, 13.5-27.9), Gulf of Aqaba near Marsa Muqabila; USNM 204524 (10, 20.2-31.3) and USNM 204527 (2, 14.8-19.8), Gulf of Aqaba just N of Ras Burqa; USNM 204522 (1, 19.5), Gulf of Aqaba, bay between Marsa Mokrakh and El Himeira; USNM 204526 (8, 13.6-25.2), Gulf of Aqaba between Marset Mahash el Ala and Marset Abu Samra; USNM 203766 (19, including 2 cleared and stained, 16.8-32.6), Red Sea, Strait of Jubal, lat. 27°14′34"N, long. 33°53′55"E; USNM 204508 (8, 16.8-21.5), Ethiopia, Sciumma Island, lat. 15°32′31"N, long. 40°40′E; USNM 204498 (9, 18.0-26.1), Ethiopia, Massawa; USNM 204501 (83, 13.8-28.5), Ethiopia, Difnein Island, lat. 16°36′N, long. 39°20"E; USNM 204510 (1, 17.9), Ethiopia, Melita Bay, lat. 15°15′N, long. 39°49′E; USNM 204504 (4, 18.6-22.6), Ethiopia, near Harat Island, lat. 16°08′N, long. 39°26.5′E; USNM 204502 (1, 18.6), Ethiopia, north end Isola Delemme, lat. 15°30.5′N, long. 39°54′E.

DESCRIPTION (characters for holotype in parentheses).—Dentary a closed capsule with replacement teeth entering functional series through foramina in jawbone. Dentary canines absent. Premaxillary and dentary teeth relatively immovable; premaxillary teeth 34 to 38 (34); dentary teeth 32 to 36 (32). Vomerine teeth absent. Terminal vertebra with two epurals and autogenous hypural 5; ventral hypural plate fused proximally with urostylar centrum and dorsal hypural plate. Vertebrae 10 + 26 to 28=36 to 38 (10+27); epipleural ribs 11 to 14 (12); last pleural rib on vertebra 10. Circumorbital bones 4.

Dorsal spines 11 to 13, usually 12 (12); last spine noticeably reduced; segmented rays 16 to 20 (19); basal two-thirds of terminal dorsal ray bound by membrane to caudal peduncle and upper procurrent rays; dorsal fin moderately incised between spinous and rayed portions. Anal spines 2; segmented rays 19 to 22 (22); basal two-thirds of terminal anal ray bound by a membrane to caudal peduncle. Caudal fin with 13 segmented rays, middle 9 each branched once; dorsal procurrent rays 6 or 7; ventral rays 5 or 6. Pelvic fin I,3 (innermost pelvic ray considerably reduced, closely applied to base of second ray, and visible only in cleared and stained specimens or upon careful dissection, Figure 16). Pectoral rays 13 to 15, usually 14 (14). Pectoral radial formula 2-0-2. Gill-rakers 8 to 11. Pseudobranchial filaments 5. Nuchal cirri absent; supraorbital and nasal cirri short and simple. Upper and lower lips entire. Lateral line of simple pores, considerably reduced, ending at level of second to fourth dorsal spine.

PIGMENTATION.—In most specimens the head and body are pale with loose concentrations of melanophores variously distributed. Groups of melanophores may occur in the mid-predorsal region of the head, on the snout, and around the orbit, with an extension from the orbit across the top of the cheek and another diagonally downward past the corner of the mouth. The latter extension may be continuous with the generally dusky to heavily pigmented underside of the head in males. In females the underside of the head bears only a sparse sprinkling of melanophores. The breast and a variable portion of the ventral half of the pectoral base are dusky with melanophores in males, almost unmarked in females. The venter is unmarked in all specimens but the dark peritoneum shows through the skin in most specimens. The sides of the body may bear a midlateral row of somewhat vertical groups of melanophores and/or scattered ocelli as shown by the specimen in Figure 8b. Occasionally there is a large, concentrated group of melanophores in the humeral region. There is usually a row of clusters of melanophores along the dorsal body contour at the base of approximately every other dorsal fin element. Usually there is an indication of a dark spot between the first two dorsal spines (both sexes) and various other groups of melanophores overlying the dorsal spines. There are about four clusters of melanophores overlying each dorsal ray, forming diagonal rows of spots across the length of the fin. The anal fin usually bears spots at the base of approximately every other ray, and most of the distal one-fourth to one-half of the fin is evenly dusky, except for the pale tips of the rays. The caudal bears scattered spots, sometimes arranged in up to five vertical rows. The pectoral and pelvic fins are unmarked.

DISTRIBUTION.—Red Sea; Indian Ocean; central and western Pacific Ocean.

Alloblennius pictus is a species of combtooth blenny (family Blenniidae). Lotan originally placed this species in the genus Rhabdoblennius. It is found in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Blennies in this species are oviparous. They can reach a maximum standard length of 2.6 centimetres (1.02 inches).