blenniidae: salariinae — schultz and chapman 315 



6 thickened in larger adults; pelvics 1,4; branched caudal 5+4; nuchal 

 fringe with 25 to 31 cirri; nasal flap with 1 to 5 cirri; and orbital flap 

 with 2 to 4 cirri. 



Head 3.6 to 3.8; greatest depth 3.7 to 4.0; longest dorsal spine 2.7 

 (males) to 5.3 ; longest thickened pectoral ray 4.2 to 5.1 ; all in standard 

 length. Eye 3.7 to 4.0; snout 2.8 to 2.9; interorbital space 8 to 10; 

 postorbital length of head 1.5 to l.G; least depth of body 2.4 to 3.0; 

 greatest depth of body 1.0 to 1.1; all in length of head. 



Orbital tentacle with cirri arising from fleshy base; nuchal fringe 

 with simple cirri, all about same length; base of nuchal fringe not 

 curving, or only curving a little posteriorly, usually not enough to 

 make the usual measurement; ventral basal tip of nuchal fringe 

 about opposite upper part of eye; snout profile nearly vertical; upper 

 lip crenulate or with small papillae; lower lip a little crenulate, not 

 notably plicate; no cutus on chin; lateral line broadly arched over 

 pectoral fin, thence slanting to midlengthwise axis and ending more 

 or less in front of base of caudal fin ; a vertical fine through dorsal fin 

 origin passes notably behind tips of nuchal fringe, through upper 

 edge of gill opening, and behind base of pelvics; pectoral fin usually 

 not quite reaching to anus; anal spines of adult male each with a 

 swollen convoluted dermal pad; first anal spine of females concealed ; 

 a strong canine tooth posteriorly on each side of lower jaw, curved 

 posteriorly; teeth in both jaws fine, very numerous, movable, and of 

 equal size in both jaws; fifth or sixth pectoral ray from lowermost 

 edge of fin longest; distal edge of caudal fin truncate or nearly so. 



Color in alcohol. — The Ophioblennius stages among the specimens 

 have a standard length of 25 to 31.5 mm.; are light brown, with 

 indications of darker brown bars on sides, with the dark brown 

 streaks and spots on head becoming evident; fins dusky, rear of each 

 lip with a brown spot. Adult stages, which range in length 25 to 67 

 mm., are colored as follows: Background color of head light brown 

 to brown, usually with a distinct narrow blackish streak below center 

 of eye, extending on upper lip; another just behind lower rear edge 

 of eye extending on lip then interrupted and continuing as a narrow 

 bar on lower lip and on underside of head, sometimes meeting its 

 fellow; behind this dark streak, on gill membranes on underside of 

 head, is a narrow transverse streak sometimes meeting but usually 

 separated from the anterior one; front of snout with 3 to 5 black 

 spots, two of which are usually on upper lip, and in the largest speci- 

 mens these spots form a V-shaped dark streak from nostrils to tip 

 of upper lip; usually there are about 15 dark brownish vertical bars 

 evident on sides, the first as a saddle just behind nuchal fringe; on 

 large specimens the bars and dark streaks on head may become 



