Family Blenniidae

Combtooth Blennies

A diverse group of small marine fishes, comprising approximately 60 genera and 400 species, distributed throughout all tropical and temperate waters. They are typically found in shallow waters, on or near rocks or stone bottoms. A few species have adapted to estuarine and freshwater habitats. Blennies are characterised by pelvic fins anterior to the pectorals, with a single spine embedded in the skin and 2–4 rays. They also have a scaleless skin, numerous comb-like teeth, and long dorsal and anal fins. The freshwater blennies of West Asia were previously classified in the genus Salaria, which is now restricted to marine species, S. basilisca, endemic to the Mediterranean, and S. pavo, that occurs in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. The correct generic name for the five freshwater blennies previously placed in Salaria is now Salariopsis. These are: S. economidisi endemic to Greece, S. atlantica is endemic to Morocco, and the other three species occur in the area covered by this book. Salaria pavo is sometimes listed as a freshwater species. It effectively enters lagoons and brackish waters but has not been recorded from true freshwater habitats and is included here only in the key.

Further reading. Springer 1968 (systematics); Wirtz 1976 (key); Bath 1977 (systematics); Duquenne-Delobel et al. 2022 (Ichthyocoris); Vecchioni et al. 2022 (phylogeny, Salariopsis); Yoğurtçuoğlu et al. 2023 (diversity).

Key to species of Salaria and Salariopsis in fresh and brackish waters of West Asia

1a - A large, oval, dark-grey blotch behind eye; 2 spines and 23–25 rays in anal; 12 spines and 22–25 rays in dorsal (occasionally in estuaries in brackish water). ……………… S. pavo

1b - No large, oval, dark-grey blotch behind eye; 2 spines and 16–19 rays in anal; 12–13 spines and 16–17 rays in dorsal. ………………2

2a - Supraocular tentacle unbranched; pores of lateral line with black circle; no black dots on upper part of flank and cheek. ……………… S. renatorum

2b - Supraocular tentacle branched; pores of lateral line with white circle; black dots present on cheek and/or upper part of flank. ………………3

3a - Supraocular tentacle short, usually not overlapping 9 th circum-orbital sensory pore; many tiny black dots on cheek not organised in rows or bands. ……………… S. burcuae

3b - Supraocular tentacle long, usually overlapping 9 th circum-orbital sensory pore; tiny black dots on cheek usually organised in rows, often with a broad diagonal band of tiny black dots from lower edge of eye downward and backwards. ……………… S. fluviatilis