Obscure Triplefin

Distinctive 'tear-drop' marking on lower rear edge of eye. Larger blocks of brown above lateral line. Fin rays pale brown and membrane of fins transparent with irregular light and dark brown lines. Males: head and body olive green; fins mottled grey to reddish brown or olive green. Females: light brown covered with darker brown flecks. Distinguished from other triplefins by the absence of scales along the dorsal and anal fin bases.

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 12; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 20 - 21

Recorded from offshore islands and coastal rock stacks. 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).

fisheries: of no interest

Gilloblennius abditus, known commonly as the obscure triplefin, is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Gilloblennius. It was described by Graham Stuart Hardy in 1896. It is endemic to New Zealand where it has a disjunct distribution around North and South Islands where there are highly exposed rocky coasts.