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| Triplefins are tiny blenny-like
fishes that skate around over smooth rocks on shallow reefs everywhere in the
Caribbean. There is only one regional genus, Enneanectes
spp., with five very similar-appearing species that share basic meristics
and can only be separated by color patterns after settlement. | | |
| Larval tripterygiids resemble
labrisomid larvae closely,
differing mainly by having melanophores on the dorsal caudal peduncle and three
separate dorsal fins. They can be recognized by their their pointed snout, long
dorsal and anal fins with flexible spines (dorsal fin divided), a short and narrow
caudal peduncle, long strand-like pelvic fins (usually straight, not curled up
over the body), the absence of spines on the head, and light markings (basically
a row of melanophores along the anal fin base, but including melanophores on the
dorsal midline of the caudal peduncle). Larval tripterygiids have large round
eyes, in contrast to many labrids,
scarids, and gobies,
in which the eye can be smaller or narrowed. | | |
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| | Triplefins
have demersal brooded eggs and hatch as well-developed larvae around 4-5 mm. The
early-stage larvae can be recognized by a moderately long and narrow body with
a small pointed head, medium mouth, prominent jaw angle, rounded eye, no head
spines, snout-to-vent length slightly less than half of body length, long fin
bases, and early-forming posterior anal and dorsal fin elements. Pigmentation
is distinctive, with a surface melanophore at the midline over the rear braincase,
and a short row of two or three melanophores at the dorsal and ventral midlines
of the caudal peduncle. In addition, there is a row of three ventral midline melanophores
at the posterior end of the forming anal fin. There are internal melanophores
at the sacculus, over the swim bladder, and around the gut near the vent. |
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| Enneanectes spp.
larva | | 4.7 mm SL | | early-stage
larva | | San Blas, Panama, SB86-1227 |
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| | Diagnosis:
Three dorsal fins with a fin ray count of D-III,XI-XII,6-8 A-II,14-16 pect
15-16 indicates Enneanectes spp. The five Caribbean species all overlap
fin ray counts and can only be distinguished by color patterns after the larval
stage. Separating larvae of these species would require DNA sequence analysis.
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| Description:
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| Enneanectes sp.
larva | | 8.6 mm SL | | internal melanophore pattern | | San Blas, Panama, SB86-509 | |  |
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