Heteroclinus kuiteri

Heteroclinus kuiteri
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Blennioidei
Family: Clinidae
Genus: Heteroclinus
Species: H. kuiteri
Binomial name
Heteroclinus kuiteri
Hoese & Rennis

Heteroclinus kuiteri, Kuiters weedfish,[1] is a species of clinid native to the Indian Ocean coast of Australia.[2]

Etymology

Heteroclinus kuiteri was described by Douglas F. Hoese and Denise S. Rennis in 2006.[3] The specific epithet "kuiteri" refers to Rudie Kuiter, who is credited by the authors with providing a substantial amount of material on other Australian clinids.[3]

Description

Male Heteroclinus kuiteri can reach a maximum length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) SL.[2] The colouration of the blennies varies, with both male and female bodies being primarily brown. The blennies are sometimes uniformly brown in colour, but can also possess a white-brown mottled band from the eyes to the tail, or approximately 8 dark brown bands along the body (most frequently shown in females), which become darker on the back.[3]

Hoese and Rennis describe H. kuiteri as being most closely related to its sister taxon H. adelaidae and H. macrophthalmus, with all three species possessing a broad membrane connecting the anal ray to the caudal peduncle.[3]

Distribution

Heteroclinus kuiteri is a subtropical blenny found from southern to western Australia, in the eastern Indian Ocean,[3][4] Blennies in this species dwell in shallow waters in the presence of rocks and weeds. The blennies are known to swim at a depth range of 5–13 metres,[2] and have also been reported to swim at about 15 metres deep.[4]

References

  1. Heteroclinus kuiteri Perciformes : Clinidae, Australia Kuiter's Weedfish at MuseumVictoria.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Heteroclinus kuiteri" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hoese, D.F., and D.S. Rennis, 2006 [ref. 28927] Description of a new species of Heteroclinus (Blennoidei: Clinidae) from southern Australia. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria v. 63 (no. 1): 21-24.
  4. 1 2 Uncommon and Cryptic Reef Fishes: Results of Pilot Surveys along Fleurieu Peninsula. J. Baker, S. Shepherd, A. Brown, H. Crawford and D. Muirhead.


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