dcsimg

Diagnostic Description

provided by CoralReefFish

Diagnosis: The modal fin-ray count of D-XX,11 A-II,19-20 and P-14 indicates Malacoctenus aurolineatus and Labrisomus haitiensis. This fin-ray count falls within the range for many other species in the group: M. versicolor, M. delalandii, M. gilli, and M. triangulatus, as well as L. kalisherae and L. bucciferus. (DNA) Ecology: The goldline blenny is a common small blenny found primarily in exposed shallow eroded limestone habitats and mixed coral substrates. They can be found in Florida, the Bahamas, at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico and all of the Caribbean Sea, except NE Venezuela. Their larvae are occasional in collections. Description: Pre-transitional larvae: Body long, moderately narrow, and thin with a large round eye, pointed snout, and small terminal mouth. Long continuous dorsal and anal fins with a short and narrow caudal peduncle. Pectoral fins long, reaching past the vent, and pelvic fins long and thread-like. On the head there is a large midline melanophore overlying the midbrain lobes and usually another single large midline melanophore over the forebrain lobes; less often, the anterior melanophores can be smaller, off-center, or paired. Occasionally there are one or a few additional small associated melanophores, although the total number of larval melanophores on top of the head rarely exceeds 5. There is a cheek melanophore on each side. Along the dorsal fin there is a melanophore at the base of some or all of the soft rays (occasionally also at the base of one or two of the last dorsal-fin spines). There are small melanophores in a thin line along the base of the caudal-fin rays, often both procurrent and segmented. Along the ventral midline there are melanophores at the anterior isthmus as well as at the mid-isthmus at the cleithral symphysis, in addition to deep just behind the pelvic-fin base. Along the anal fin there is a melanophore at the base of each anal-fin soft ray (often not the last), closely followed by a series (up to 4) along the ventral midline of the caudal peduncle up to the procurrent caudal-fin rays. A row of internal melanophores overlies the vertebral column, spaced every 2-4 vertebrae, extending to the caudal peduncle, where the melanophores can overlie each vertebral body (often inconspicuous in stout-bodied larvae). Additional internal melanophores include those at the nuchal midline, otic capsule, and overlying the abdominal organs. Transitional stage: M. aurolineatus larvae in transition develop patches of small surface melanophores over the head, including a short bar slanting forward and down from the orbital rim at 6 o'clock (and no obvious eye-stripe from the orbital rim to the mid-maxilla). In addition, a distinctive long, thin, and straight vertical bar forms on the pectoral-fin base. Fine metamorphic melanophores later extend onto the body, forming complex patches resembling inverted triangles. Multiple long cirri form on the nape, over the eye, and over the nasal tube. Juveniles: M. aurolineatus juveniles have an H-pattern of two broad connecting dark bars on the anterior body and a lighter rear body. They notably have no large dark spot at the front of the dorsal fin, on the operculum, or on other fins. Two prominent long dark vertical lines on the pectoral-fin base are diagnostic in well-marked individuals. Analogues: M. aurolineatus larvae can be distinguished from other labrisomid larvae by having fewer than 5 melanophores on the top of the head combined with melanophores along the soft dorsal-fin base and caudal-fin base. The other Malacoctenus species with fewer than five melanophores on top of the head, M. macropus, M. erdmani, and sometimes M. gilli, have no melanophores along the dorsal or caudal-fin bases. The most common configuration of two large midline melanophores spaced well apart on top of the head and two midline melanophores along the isthmus is not shared by other labrisomid larvae. Some Labrisomus larvae also have melanophores along the soft dorsal-fin base, but they always have more speckled heads than M. aurolineatus. L. albigenys and L. nigricinctus larvae also have few head melanophores as well as isthmus and pelvic-fin base melanophores and are similar in size and shape, but the former have a distinctive enlarged anal-fin base melanophore, a side-by-side pair of melanophores over the rear cranium, and no caudal peduncle ventral midline spots, and both have no caudal-fin base or soft dorsal-fin base melanophores (and usually lower fin-ray counts). Early transitional M. aurolineatus larvae are distinguished by fin-ray counts, persistent larval melanophores, and their metamorphic melanophore pattern, i.e. the combination of the 6 o'clock bar slanting forward, the absence of an eye stripe to the mid-maxilla, and, most distinctive, a long, narrow, and straight vertical line on the pectoral-fin base that is not shared by other transitional labrisomid larvae. Juveniles later develop a second and separate long vertical line on the pectoral-fin base (similar lines in M. gilli are linked with a crossbar in an H-pattern or form a Y in M. triangulatus), broad inverted-triangle bars connected in an H-shape on the anterior body, and, notably, the absence of large spots or ocelli on the fins.

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Diagnostic Description

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Body with dark bars; first two bars connected to form an H, last two bars remote from first (Ref. 26938).
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Recorder
Cristina V. Garilao
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Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 20 - 21; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 19 - 20
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Trophic Strategy

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Inhabits limestone rock, rubble and coral reef areas. Usually near sea urchins. Feeds on amphipods and copepods.
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Drina Sta. Iglesia
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Biology

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Inhabits limestone rock, rubble and coral reef areas. Usually near sea urchins (Ref. 9710). Feeds on amphipods and copepods (Ref. 13628).
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Rainer Froese
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Malacoctenus aurolineatus

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Malacoctenus aurolineatus, the Goldline blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny native to the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea from southern Florida to northern South America. It inhabits rock and coral reefs at depths of from very shallow waters to about 5 metres (16 ft). It prefers living in the vicinity of sea urchins. This species can reach a length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) TL.[2]

References

  1. ^ Williams, J.T. (2014). "Malacoctenus aurolineatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T46104251A48395333. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T46104251A48395333.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Malacoctenus aurolineatus" in FishBase. October 2013 version.
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Malacoctenus aurolineatus: Brief Summary

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Malacoctenus aurolineatus, the Goldline blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny native to the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea from southern Florida to northern South America. It inhabits rock and coral reefs at depths of from very shallow waters to about 5 metres (16 ft). It prefers living in the vicinity of sea urchins. This species can reach a length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) TL.

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