BLENNIIDAE


Cirripectes auritus, 5.2 cm SL
(photo by Richard Winterbottom)


Cirripectes auritus
Carlson, 1981
Black-eared Blenny

D XII, 15-18; A II, 16-18; P1 14-15; P2 I, 4; V 41-42.

Body short and deep. Single weakly fringed flap on each side of nape; a row of up to 10 widely spaced, simple cirri between flaps on nape. Three to 4 simple cirri on nostril and eye. Psterior dentary canines present. Total upper jaw teeth less than twice as many as total lower jaw teeth. Several caudal-fin rays branched. Color: body, head and fins creamy, pink or brown; some specimens with scattered dark dots on body; flap on each side of nape blackish. Size: attaining to 9 cm. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific, including east coast of Africa, Andaman Sea, Philippines and Indonesia. (Hisashi Imamura)