Subfamily Blenniinae 

 By Leonard P. Schultz 



The number of specimens from the Marshall Islands belonging to 

 this subfamily of blennies was not an adequate basis for a detailed 

 study. The specimens have been identified with considerable care, 

 but with no monograph on this group available for reference, some 

 names older than the ones used may exist. My search of the litera- 

 ture reveals nearly one hundred species that have been described and 

 referred to this subfamily, but descriptions of several of these species 

 are so inadequate that they cannot be referred to any genus with 

 certainty. 



I am unable to identify one small specimen, 11 mm. in standard 

 length, from Eniwetok Atoll. It is just passing from the Ophioblen- 

 nius to the adult stage, being farther along in the latter. 



Norman (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 11, vol. 10, pp. 796-806, 1943) 

 is followed in regard to recognition of genera, with the exception of 

 Aspidontus, which I have divided into two genera on the basis of the 

 characters given in the following key (modified after Norman) : 



la. Dorsal rays XI or XII,13 to 15; anal 11,14 to 17; depth of body 3 to 3}^ in 

 standard length; interorbital width % to Ys diameter of eye; gill opening 

 entirely above base of pectoral fin; incisorlike teeth of both jaws about 

 equal in number, or about 20 to 34 in each jaw_ Petroscirtes Riippell 

 16. Dorsal rays IV to XII,17 to 38; anal 11,16 to 32, depth of body 4 to 7% in 

 standard length; interorbital width in adults nearly equal to or greater 

 than diameter of the eye. 

 2a. Gill opening extending downwards in front of the. base of pectoral fin 

 rays; dorsal fin soft rays 26 to 38, anal soft rays 22 to 32. 

 3a. Pectoral rays normally 14; incisorlike teeth of lower jaw approximately 

 equal in number and in size to those of upper jaw. 



Aspidontus Quoy and Gaimard 



36. Pectoral rays normally 12; incisorlike teeth of lower jaw approximately 



twice or nearly twice as numerous and about half as wide as those 



in upper jaw Bunula Jordan and BoUman 



26. Gill opening entirely above the base of the pectoral fin; dorsal soft rays 

 17 to 28; anal soft rays 15 to 20. 

 4a. Upper profile of head descending steeply, the snout shorter than eye; 

 dorsal fin with IV to VIII spines; anterior edge of the lower jaw 



transversally rounded Meiacanthus Norman 



46. Upper profile of the head not steep, often nearly horizontal, snout as 

 long as or longer than eye; dorsal fin with about XI spines; anterior 

 edge of the lower jaw transversely truncate. 



Dasson •' Jordan and Hubbs 



" Not yet found in northern Marshall Islands. 



373 



