Ophioblennius trinitatis (Pisces: Blenniidae) from the Oceanic Archipelagos of São Pedro e São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas

• Published in: Brazilian journal of oceanography Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 63 - 65
• Main Author: Mendes, Liana de Figueiredo(Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Centro de Biociências Departamento de Botânica, Ecologia e Zoologia)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Oceanográfico 01.03.2007; Universidade de São Paulo
• Subjects: Blennies; Blenniidae; Dispersion; Dispersão; Marine; Morfotipos; Morphotypes; Ophioblennius; Taxonomia; Taxonomy; PSE, New Zealand, South I., Nelson; ASW, Brazil, Sao Paulo; ASW, Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Atol das Rocas
• ISSN: 1679-8759; 1982-436X; 1679-8759
• DOI: 10.1590/S1679-87592007000100008

The Blenniidae are a marine family composed of 53 genera and 345 species. They commonly occur in intertidal habitats, being dominant elements amongst the small benthic faunal fish that inhabit tropical reefs. Popularly known in Brazil as "peixes-macaco" (Carvalho-Filho, 1999; Nelson, 1994), they are usually solitary in habit, hiding cryptically in burrows, corals and sponges, thus forming part of the invisible ichthyofauna which interacts with other resident organisms. The genus Ophioblenniw has demersal egg laying habits within consolidated substrates and eclosion occurs in about 5 days (Marraro & Nursall, 1983), with a long planktonic larval phase of approximately 50 days (Labelle & Nursall, 1992). In Fernando de Noronha two distinct morphotypes have been found for the species O. trinitatis Miranda-Ribeiro, 1919. The distinguishing features between the two recognised groups (in both young and adult specimens) include colour differences, spatial distribution, behaviour and morphometrics. Until now just one morphotype has been registered in Atol das Rocas and Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo.