Bulletin - United States National Museum

In these series, original articles and monographs have been published that deal with the Museum's collections and work and present new facts acquired in the fields of anthropology, biology, geology, history and technology. In the Bulletin series, the first of which was published in 1875, appear longer, separate publications consisting of monographs (occasionally in several parts) and volumes in which works on related topics are collected. Since 1902, papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum have been published in the Bulletin series under the title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium.

The research was undertaken because no reasonably comprehensive osteological description is available for any bleniid species, because most of the available osteological information about bleniids is misleading, because any reliable classification of the suborder Blennioidei will require osteological information about each of the families involved, and because I needed the information here, which would be helpful in my revisional studies of the blenniid genera. Gosline (1968) is the most recent author to critically review the higher classification of perciform fishes and firmly establish perciform relationships among blenioids. All bleniids, with the exception of one monotypic genus, Plagiotremus, in which the pelvis is absent, show these two characters.

In the general discussion that follows, I cite only a few of the relevant papers dealing with the classification of the Blenniidae. Of the seven characters Hubbs used to distinguish the Blenniicae (in . which he included the Blenniidae), two—the number of suborbitals ("circorbitals" in my study) and the relationship of the ascending arm of the parasphenoid to the descending arms of the frontals.

2 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 84

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 3 Gosline added another character of which he was not quite so certain

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNHDAE 5

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 7

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNUDAE 9

10 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 284

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE H

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 23 The ringlike jointing surface of each pterotic's pyramidal section

Externally, most of the dorsal part of each sphenotic is covered by the inner surface of a blade-like part that fits the corresponding pterotic, the ventral edge of which lies in a longitudinal sphenotic groove that runs just inside the sphenotic spine. The supratemporal canal joins the pterotic canal, which passes over the anterolateral surface of the sphenotic in the area covered by the pterotic (the outer wall surrounding the canal forms the pterotic). A thin anterior extension of each sphenotic overlaps the dorsal external surface of its pterosphenoid and is overlain by its corresponding frontal.

A ridge on the internal surface of each sphenotic forms a synchondral joint with the dorsoposterior margin of its respective pterosphenoid. The posterior opening of the canal is in a groove just mesial to the posterior margin of the phenotic spine (just outside the groove on the inner sphenotic surface for the tube of the anterior vertical semicircular canal). Pteosphenoid (figs. 2, 4).—Ventrally, each thin, internally concave pterosphenoid lies internal to the dorsoposterior portion of its respective ascending wing of the parasphenoid and posteriorly internal to the anterior portion of its respective phenotypic. inside margin of the prootic, while an anteriorly extending projection of this prootic margin is outside the posterior margin of the pterosphenoid.

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 25 pterosphenoid forms a synchondral joint with its respective sphenotic

26 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2S4

Internally and for the most part anterior to the projection is the posterior portion of the concavity, formed with the posteroventral portion of the prootic. The pterotic and epiotic form a joint perpendicular to the level of the two exoccipital ridges. Ventroposteriorly, each exoccipital forms a conical condyle, which is connected to the center of the first vertebra.

The dorsoposterior convex part (concave on the inner surface) of the supraoccipital connects each exoccipital and epiotic part along the dorsomesial edges of those bones. Thin laminar extensions of the convex portion overlap the epiotics externally (covering the epiotic-supraoccipital joint). The lateral edges of the raised extension contact the parietal crest in the region of the dorsomedial opening.

The posterior edge of the blade forms the median anterior margin of the dorsomedic opening to the supratemporal canal. The lacrimal is broad dorsally where it is tightly connected to the ventrolateral surface of the lateral ethmoid.

30 U-S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 284

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 31 and an anterior expanded portion. Each anterior portion is concave

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 35 end of the respective nasal bone. The canal extends the length of each

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 41 Each pelvis is a laterally convex (concave inner surface) bone with

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 43 Those blenniids that were found to have a kinethmoid were the

44 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 284

In the Nemophidinae, the ascending wings of the parasphenoid may reach the descending wings of the frontals, while the pterosphenoids internal to these structures may extend beyond the common edge of these wings and. In Runula, the pterosphenoid typically separates the frontal from the parasphenoid (specimen illustrated by R. In Omobranchina, the pterosphenoid is greatly reduced and is a very thin bone closely attached to the inner surface of the frontal and sphenoid; it is excluded from view when the skull is viewed laterally.

In Meiacanthus there is a unique, continuous ridge that forms on the external surface of the ascending wing of the parasphenoid and. CIRCUMORBITAL BONES.— The number of circumorbital bones in blenniids varies from two to five and is often diagnostic of genera. In the Blenniini, Medusahlennius has two circumorbitals (Springer, 1966), the other genera have five (I, 1955, erroneously reported four circumorbitals in Hypleurochilus geminatus).

In the Omobranchini, Enchelyurus has three circumorbitals (fig. 13), Cruantus has four, and Laiphognathus and Omohranchus have five (pi. One specimen of Enchelyurvs species and one of Andamia heteroptera each have four circumorbitals on one side and the normal number for the species had the other.

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNHDAE 47 The ascending processes of the premaxillaries (described in detail

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 49 jaw teeth, the premaxillaries have become relatively thin, arched,

FISHES OF FAMILY BLEKNIIDAE 51

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 53 Vertebeal column. — The number of vertebrae in blenniids varies

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNHDAB 55

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 57 are considered specialized. The caudal illustrated in figure 15b is

FISHES OP FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 61 area between the scajjula and coracoid. The path followed has been

66 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 284

The West Indian blenniid fishes of the genus Hypleurochilus, with description of a new species, Proc. The taxonomic status of the fishes of the genus Stathmonotus, including a review of the Atlantic species.

PALATINE

LATERAL ETHMOID

DERMOSPHENOTIC

SPHENOTIC

LATERAL

EXTRASCAPULAR

POSTTEMPORAL

PARIETAL PTEROTtC

EPIOTIC

EXOCCIPITAL SUPRAOCCIPITAL BASIOCCIPITAL

VOMER

FRONTAL

BASIOCCIPITAL

PARASPHENOID

PTEROSPHENOID PROOTIC

PTEROTIC

LATERAL EXTRASCAPULAR

EXOCCIPITAL

OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 79 DORSAL SPINE I

NEURAL SPINE

PARAPOPHYS PLEURAL

HAEMAL SP PROXIMAL PTERYGIC

HYPURAL PLATE OCURRENT RAY

AL PLATE

STYLAR VERTEBRA

NEURAL SPINE NEURAL ARCH

NOTOCHORDAL CANAL

E PI PLEURAL

PLEURAL

S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 284 1st

NEURAL ARCH-NEURALCANAL

NOTOCHORDAL CANAL NEURAL

EPIPLEURAL PLEURAL

EPIPLEURAL PARAPOHYSIS

NEURAL

CENTRUM ^

HAEMAL ARCH HAEMAL CANAL

PREZYGAPOPHYSIS

FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNUDAE 85

VOM PARAS SPHEN PROO INTERC POSTT

LAEX