Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Blenniiformes (Blennies) >
Tripterygiidae (Triplefin blennies) > Tripterygiinae
Etymology: Helcogramma: Greek, helkos, -eos, -ous = ulcer, sore + Greek, gramma = letter, mark (Ref. 45335); ememes: Named after Margaret Mary Smith (Director of the J. L. B. Smith Institute in the mid-70s) often called MMS. The specific name is used as a noun in apposition..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic. Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Kenya to Seyechelles, south to Mozambique.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75031)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 18 - 20; Vertebrae: 34 - 37. Diagnosis: Dorsal fin III + XIII+ 10, second fin twice height of first; anal fin I + 18-19; pectoral rays 15 (East Africa: 1+7+7, Seychelles: 2+7+6 or 1+8+6); pelvic fin I, 2, spine short and hidden, segmented rays simple, partially united by membrane. Vertebrae 10 + 24-27. LL total lateral scales 36-38; tubed 19-23 (21) scales; transverse 9/7; nape, and dorsal and anal-fin base scaleless, caudal fin base with 2 rows of scales. Mandibular pores 4-7+3+4-7. Orbital cirrus small, pointed. Head length 3.9 (Seychelles) or 3.0 (East Africa) in SL; eye 3.0; maxilla 2.4 in HL. Significant morphological character variation between Seychelles and East Africa specimens, in addition to mentioned above they also differ in mean head length. Live males brown with three narrow white saddle marks on body and with lower half of head black (Ref. 75031).
Female members of the Tripterygiidae have eggs that are hemispherical and covered with numerous sticky threads that anchor them in the algae on the nesting sites (Ref. 240). Larvae are planktonic which occur primarily in shallow, nearshore waters (Ref. 94114).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Holleman, W., 2007. Fishes of the genus Helcogramma (Blennioidei: Tripterygiidae) in the Western Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka, with description of four new species. Smith. Bull. 7:51-81. (Ref. 75031)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00562 (0.00258 - 0.01228), b=3.08 (2.89 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
