Study on Blennies fishes (Blenniidae Rafinesque 1810) from Makoran coastal waters (Southeast of Iran)

Abstract

Specimens of fishes belonging to the family Blenniidae were collected from 10 intertidal and subtidal stations along coastal waters of Chabahar Bay and Oman Sea (Makran coast) from June 2012 to November 2013. Fifteen blenny species belonging to eight genera were identified based on gene sequencing of cytochrome oxidase1. Nine genera were identified using morphological features and available identification keys. These species were Antennablennius bifilum (Günther, 1861), A. variopunctatus (Jatzow and Lenz, 1898), Ecsenius pulcher (Murray, 1887), Istiblennius pox )Springer and Williams, 1994(, Istiblennius spilotus )Springer and Williams, 1994(, I. edentulous (Forster and Schneider, 1801), Entomacrodus striatus (Valenciennes, 1836), Omobranchus fasciolatus (Valenciennes, 1836), O. mekarensis (Regan, 1905), Parablennius pilicornis (Cuvier, 1829), P. thysanius (Jordan and Seal, 1907), P. cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758), Petroscrites mitratus (Ruppell, 1830), Scartella emarginata (Gunther, 1861). This study is the latest report on the family Blenniidae from South-east coast of Iran with description of all identified species. Three species (Parablennius cornutus, Entomacrodus striatus, and Scartella emarginata) are recorded for the first time.