Saddle Blenny

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 15 - 16

Inhabits vertical surfaces of cuts along clear reef margins to a depth of 6 m (Ref. 37816).

Adults occur solitary or in small groups in fringing reefs to 8 m deep (Ref. 90102). They inhabit vertical surfaces of cuts along clear reef margins to a depth of 6 m (Ref. 37816). 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). Minimum depth of 6 m reported from Ref. 1602.

Ecsenius sellifer

Ecsenius (Ecsenius) oculus.—Springer, 1971:35 [paratypes, in part; Palau Islands].—Springer, 1972:4 [Trobriand Islands, New Guinea].

Ecsenius oculus.—McKinney and Springer, 1976:12 [Type E; Palau, Trobriand, and Savo, Solomon islands].

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsal fin XII,13 or 14, deeply notched between spinous and segmented-ray portions. Anal fin II,15 or 16 (rarely 16). Pectoral fin 13. Segmented caudal-fin rays 13. Vertebrae 10 + 21 or 22. Dentary incisor teeth 50–54 (includes anterior canine teeth, which differ little, if at all, in appearance from incisors); posterior canines 1 on each side. Lateral line without vertical pairs of pores, terminating posteriorly at between vertcials from dorsal-fin spine 11 and and first segmented ray. Cirrus present on posterior rim of anterior nostril; none on anterior rim.

Preserved Color: Important features include: Pair of dark spots present dorsally on nape. Stripe extending from postorbital margin faint or absent anteriorly; when present, becoming abruptly darker on dorsal portion of opercle and anterior portion of body above pectoral-fin base; stripe decreases in intensity as it continues along body. Second, slightly deeper, short, dark stripe on opercle below previously described dark stripe; stripes separated by fine, pale stripe. No conspicuous blackish pigment present ventroanteriorly to corners of mouth (pigment in this area darkly dusky, however).

VARIATION.—Specimens from the Solomon Islands have one more segmented dorsal-fin ray than do specimens from Papua New Guinea and the Palau Islands (Table 16).

DISTRIBUTION.—Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea; Kiriwina Island (Trobriand Islands), Papua New Guinea; Savo and Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; Nardueis Island, Palau Islands.

COMPARISONS.—Ecsenius sellifer is distinguished from all other species of the Oculus Group by the combination of having more than one pale-margined dark saddle on the dorsal body contour and lacking pale-margined dark spots on the body proper. In possessing a transverse pair of dark spots on the nape, it is similar only to E. paroculus and E. oculatus in the Oculus Group. See comparisons section under E. monoculus for comments on possible intragroup relationships.

ETYMOLOGY.—From the Latin “sella,” meaning “saddle,” and “-fer,” meaning “carry” or “bear,” in reference to the distinctive large, saddle-like markings on the body.

HOLOTYPE.—USNM 261462, male, 37 mm SL, Papua New Guinea, Trobriand Islands, Kiriwina Island, surge channels and shallow flats, 0–3.7 m, B.B. Collette and B. Goldman, 17 June 1970.

PARATYPES.—USNM 206431 (8 specimens: 27–37 mm SL, collected with the holotype); USNM 221237, 32 mm SL, Papua New Guinea, Umboi Island, in lee of Higgins Point, 0–4.5 m, B.B. Collette et al., 18 June 1979; AMS 1.17490-001, 40 mm SL, Solomon Islands, SW corner of Savo Island, J.E. Randall et al., 18 July 1973; AMS 1.17486-033, 29 mm SL, Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Honiara, G. Allen and J.E. Randall, 11 July 1973; CAS 13463, 41 mm SL, Palau Islands, edge of reef off Nardueis Island, vicinity of Garudowaishi Point (GVF Register no. 880), ~1–5.5 m, Sumang et al., 4 September 1956 (previously paratype of Ecsenius oculus).

Ecsenius sellifer, known commonly as the saddle blenny in Guam, or the saddle clown blenny in Micronesia, is a species of combtooth blenny in the genus Ecsenius. It is found in coral reefs in the western Pacific ocean. It can reach a maximum length of 4.1 centimetres. Blennies in this species feed primarily off of plants, including benthic algae and weeds.