TRIPTERYGIIDAE


Enneapterygius tutuilae, 1.6 cm SL
(photo by Ukkrit Satapoomin)



Enneapterygius tutuilae, 1.8 cm SL
(photo by Ukkrit Satapoomin)


Enneapterygius tutuilae
Jordan and Seale, 1906
High-hat Triplefin

D III+ IX-XIII + 7-10; A I, 15-20; P1 13-18; LLp 7-13 + 18-25 (interrupted); MP 2-4 + 2 + 2-4.

Body slender. Supraorbital region with lobate tentacle. First dorsal fin high, 1st spine higher than 1st and 2nd spines of 2nd dorsal fin. Abdomen lacking scales. Color: variable, often translucent greenish with faint, irregular narrow bars from red to brown pigments on scale edges; single black blotch present on middle of 2nd dorsal fin in males, absent in females; anal-fin base with 6-7 dark blotches; pelvic fin black near base in males, lacking black mark in females. Size: maximum size about 2.8 cm. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific, ranging from Madagascar to southern Japan and to New Caledonia. Remarks: known from tidepools and shallow rocky reefs.