Jugular Blenny

This species has several dark crossbars on the tail an a yellow to spotted and black breast.

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 19; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 20 - 21

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).

fisheries: of no interest

Alloblennius jugularis (Klunzinger)

Blennius jugularis Klunzinger, 1871, p. 493 [original description; type-locality: Red Sea, Kosseir].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—ISZZ 10496 (male, 29.5 mm SL), lectotype and ZIAS 2617 (female, 22.7 mm SL), paralectotype, both from Kosseir, Red Sea; USNM 204695 (6, 30.5-42.8) Kosseir, lat. 26°08′N, long. 34°16′E; USNM 204528 (3, 30.7-36.2), USNM 204531 (2, 23.3-29.9) and USNM 204532 (1, 27.8), Gulf of Aqaba near Ras Burqa; USNM 204529 (1, 26.6), Gulf of Aqaba near Marsa Muqabila; USNM 204530 (5, 21.3-31.5), S end of Sinai Peninsula at Ras Muhammad; USNM 204612 (1, 19.1), Ethiopia, SW shore of Sciumma Island, lat. 15°32′31"N, long. 40°00′E; USNM 204488 (26, 16.4-31.0), Ethiopia, Difnein Island, lat. 16°36′N, long. 39°20′E; HUI E62/417g, (6, 27.6-33.3), Ethiopia, Dahlak Archipelago, Cundabilu.

DESCRIPTION (characters for lectotype in parentheses).—Nature of dentary and replacement teeth not investigated. Dentary canines absent. Premaxillary and dentary teeth relatively immovable; premaxillary teeth 30 to 36 (35); dentary teeth 30 to 34 (32). Vomerine teeth absent. Terminal vertebra with two epurals and autogenous hypural 5 and ventral hypural plate. Vertebrae 10 + 27 to 29 = 37 to 39 (38); epipleural ribs 12 to 16 (14); last pleural rib on vertebra 10. Circumorbital bones 4.

Dorsal spines 11 to 13, usually (12); last spine noticeably reduced; segmented rays 17 to 20 (19); at least basal two-thirds of terminal dorsal ray bound by membrane to caudal peduncle and dorsal procurrent rays; dorsal fin moderately incised between spinous and rayed portions. Anal spines 2; segmented anal rays 20 to 22 (21); at least basal two-thirds of terminal anal ray bound by a membrane to caudal peduncle. Caudal fin with 13 segmented rays, middle 8 (9) each branched once; dorsal procurrent rays 6 or 7; ventral rays 5 to 7 (7). Pelvic rays I,3, all rays well developed. Pectoral rays 14. Gill-rakers 10 (lectotype only). Pseudobranchial filaments 5. Nuchal cirri present or absent (absent); supraorbital and nasal cirri short and simple. Upper and lower lips entire. Lateral line of simple pores, considerably reduced, ending at level of fourth dorsal spine.

COLOR PATTERN.—Mature males: The snout is dusky. There is a broad band of melanophores behind the eye that becomes diffuse as it extends on top of the head, but is distinct as it continues ventrally around the eye, and is continuous with a black area on the underside of the head. The black area covers the ventral sides of the head but is interrupted by two large, pale spots, one on each side. Other pale spots may occur on each side lateral to the ventral spots, just anteroventral to the ventral end of the opercle, or at the ventral end of the preopercular area. The ventral end of the opercle is covered by melanophores; the dorsal end is dusky. The prepelvic area is dark dusky to black above the level of the pelvic fin base; the dark area extends onto the ventral half of the fleshy pectoral base. The venter is black. The body bears six to eight dusky, bandlike spots at its midlevel. There may also be a fine stippling of spots over the body. The spinous dorsal bears a black spot between the first two dorsal spines; the remainder of the fin is irregularly marked with dark spots. The rayed portion of the dorsal fin bears a regular pattern of dark melanophores and pale areas for its entire length. The tips of the rays and the base of the anal fin are pale to pale dusky with or without fine dark spots basally. The remainder of the fin is dark dusky. The caudal fin bears a pattern of up to six irregularly vertical rows of dark spots. The pectoral fins are faintly dusky, and the pelvic fins are unmarked.

Immature males have very little black pigment, but may show the same pattern as mature males, only much less intense. Females are very pale. They exhibit some pale dusky marks on the sides of the head and body and a regular pattern of dusky spots on the dorsal and caudal fins.

The jugular blenny (Alloblennius jugularis) is a combtooth blenny (family Blenniidae) found in the western Indian Ocean. Klunzinger originally placed this species in the genus Blennius. It is a tropical, marine and freshwater blenny which is known from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea, in the western Indian Ocean. Male jugular blennies can reach a maximum standard length of 5 centimetres (1.97 inches). The blennies are oviparous.