BLENNIIDAE


Meiacanthus smithi, 4.0 cm SL
(photo by Ukkrit Satapoomin)


Meiacanthus smithi
Klausewitz, 1962
Smith's Fangblenny

D III-V, 24-26; A II, 15-17; P1 13-15; P2 I, 3; V 33-35.

Body elongate. Orbital and posttemporal cirrus absent. Canine teeth in lower jaw with deep groove along surface. Gill opening small, gill membranes on both sides separated. Caudal fin lacking branched rays; outer lobes not elongated. Color: anterior portion of body pale brownish, becoming paler posteriorly; oblique black stripe extending from eye to origin of dorsal fin; dorsal fin with a broad black band; anal fin and caudal fin bluish; upper and lower margins and posterior portion of caudal fin with blackish stripes. Size: attaining to 7 cm. Distribution: widespread in eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans, including Maldive Islands, Sri Lanka, Great barrier Reef and Indonesia. (Hisashi Imamura)