Main Article Content

Abstract

First record of the Triplefin fish (Blenniiformes: Tripterygiidae), Helcogramma ellioti, is reported here based on six specimens collected from Chabahar, northern Gulf of Oman in February 2019. Identification was confirmed based on a series of morphological characters including, a minute supraorbital tentacle, 3-5 symphyseal mandibular pores, a numerous number of scales in lateral line (36-37) and a low number of total lateral scale rows (38-39). Specimens were found in coral reef areas at depths of 1-15m of the Gulf of Oman in the Indo-Pacific region. Compared to the other members of Helcogramma, H. ellioti is regarded as a medium to large body size species (25.0-57.0mm SL). Although several species of triplefin fishes have been reported from the Persian Gulf, but, it is the first record from Tripterygiidae for the Iranian waters of the Gulf of Oman.

Keywords

Chabahar Helcogramma ellioti Morphology-based identification.

Article Details

How to Cite
SHARIFINIYA, M., MOUSAVI-SABET, H., ALAVI-YEGANEH, M. S., & GHANBARIFARDI, M. (2021). First record of the Triplefin fish, Helcogramma ellioti (Herre, 1944), from the Gulf of Oman, Iran (Blennioidei: Tripterygiidae: Tripterygiinae). Iranian Journal of Ichthyology, 8(3), 181–188. https://doi.org/10.22034/iji.v8i3.649

References

    Attaran-Fariman, G.; Estekani, S. & Ghasemzadeh, J. 2016a. The first study of the phylogenetic relationships of three rare species of Blenniids (Fishes: Blenniidae) from Makoran Coast based on the gene sequencing of Cytochrome Oxidase 1. Iranian Scientific Fisheries Journal 25(1): 135-148.
    Attaran-Farimani, G.; Estekani, S.; Springer, V.G.; Crimmen, O.; Johnson, G.D. & Baldwin, C.C. 2016b. Validation of the synonymy of the teleost blenniid fish species Salarias phantasticus Boulenger 1897 and Salarias anomalus Regan 1905 with Ecsenius pulcher (Murray 1887) based on DNA barcoding and morphology. Zootaxa 4072(2): 171-184.
    Bishop, J.M. 2003. History and current checklist of Kuwait’s ichthyofauna. Journal of Arid Environments 54: 237-256.
    Carpenter, K.E.; Krupp, F. & Jones, D.A. 1997. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purposes: Living Marine Resources of Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. FAO, Rome.
    Chiang, M.C. & Chen, I.S. 2012. A new species of the genus Helcogramma (Blenniiformes, Tripterygiidae) from Taiwan. ZooKeys 216: 57-72.
    Estekani, S.; Attaran-Fariman, G. & Ghasemzadeh. J. 2019. Study on Blennies fishes (Blenniidae Rafinesque 1810) from Makoran coastal waters (Southeast of Iran). Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences 19(2): 1006-1014.
    Fricke, R. 1994. Tripterygiid fishes of the genus Enneapterygius from Bali, Indonesia, with descriptions of two new species (Teleostei: Blennioidei). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde Serie A (Biologie) 512: 1-13.
    Fricke, R. 1997. Tripterygiid fishes of the western and central Pacific, with descriptions of 15 new species, including an annotated checklist of world Tripterygiidae (Teleostei). Theses Zoologicae v. 29. Koeltz Scientific Books, Königstein. 1-607 p.
    Fricke, R. 2017. Enneapterygius niue, a new species of triplefin from Niue and Samoa, southwestern Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Tripterygiidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 25: 14-32.
    Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer W. & Fong, J.D. 2021. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Genera, Species, References. Available from: https://researcharchive.calacademy.org /research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp (accessed 08 June 2021).
    Ghanbarifardi, M. & Malek, M. 2007. Permanent intertidal fish from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Iran. Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics 3: 1-14.
    Hansen, P. 1986. Revision of the tripterygiid fish genus Helcogramma, including descriptions of four new species. Bulletin of Marine Sciences 38: 313-354.
    Herre, A.W. 1944. Notes on fishes in the Zoological Museum of Stanford University. XVII. New fishes from Johore and India. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 57: 45-52.
    Holleman, W. 2007. Fishes of the genus Helcogramma (Blennioidei: Tripterygiidae) in the Western Indian Ocean, Including Sri Lanka, with descriptions of four new species. Smithiana Bulletin 7: 51-81.
    Holleman, W. & Bogorodsky S.V. 2012. A review of the blennioid fish family Tripterygiidae (Perciformes) in the Red Sea, with description of Enneapterygius qirmiz, and reinstatement of Enneapterygius altipinnis Clark, 1980. Zootaxa 3152: 36-60.
    Manilo, L.G. & Bogorodsky, S.V. 2003. Taxonomic composition, diversity and distribution of coastal fishes of the Arabian Sea. Journal of Ichthyology 43(Supl): S75-S149.
    McCulloch, A.R. & Waite, E.R. 1918. Some new and little-known fishes from South Australia. Records of the South Australia Museum 1: 39-78.
    Mehraban, H.R. & Esmaeili, H.R. 2018. Comb-tooth blennies of the intertidal zones of Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman: Morphology, taxonomy, distribution and conservation status (Blenniiformes: Blenniidae). Iranian Journal of Ichthyology 5(3): 192-211.
    Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.L. & Wilson, M.V.H. 2016. Fishes of the World. Fifth Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA. 707 p.
    Randall, J.E. 1995. Coastal Fishes of Oman. University of Hawaii Press.
    Rosenblatt, R.H. 1960. Descriptions of new species of Helcogramma. In: Schultz, LP Fishes of the Marshall and Marianas Islands, Vol. 2 United States National Museum Bulletin 202: 1-438.
    Talwar, P.K. & Sen, T.K. 1971. On some fishes the Madras coast with description of a new species of the family Clinidae. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 65(1-4): 243-251.
    Williams, J.T. & Howe, J.C. 2003. Seven species of the triplefin fish genus Helcogramma (Tripterygiidae) from the Indo-Pacific. Aqua, Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology 7(4): 151-176.
    Williams, J.T. & McCormick, C.J. 1990. Two new species of the triplefin genus Helcogramma (Tripterygiidae) from the western Pacific Ocean. Copeia 1990: 1020-1030.
    Williams, J.T. & Fricke, R. 2001. Tripterygiidae. In: Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 3: Bony Fishes, Part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO, Rome. pp: 3532-3535.