Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Tripterygiidae (Triplefin blennies) > Tripterygiinae
Etymology: Norfolkia: Named for the Norfolk Island ( In 1953 Henry W. Fowler named this new genus on a Collection of Fishes Made by Dr. Marshall Laird at Norfolk Island) (R.Bajol, pers.comm. 04/2016).; brachylepis: Named for the scales on the pectoral fin base (Latin 'brachium' for upper arm and 'lepis' for a scale of a fish) (R. Bajol, pers.comm. 04/16).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 25 m (Ref. 90102), usually 2 - 7 m (Ref. 13227). Tropical, preferred ?; 16°N - 15°S
Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea to Fiji, north to the Izu Islands, south to southwest and southeast Australia and New Calednonia. Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 11441)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 18 - 19;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 10-11;
Anal
spines: 2;
Anal
soft rays: 20 - 21. Diagnosis: Dorsal fins IV + XIV-XV + 10-11 (IV+XV+11); anal fin II, 20-21 (21), spine length half of the rays; pectoral rays 16, dorsalmost 2-3 and ventral most 7 simple, remainder branched once; pelvic rays bound together by membrane for less than one-fourth of length of shorter ray. Lateral line pored scales 21-24 (22), terminates between 2nd and 3rd dorsal fins; notched scales and 14-19 (16); total lateral scales 32-35 (34). Dentary pores 5-6 + 1 + 5-6. Orbital and nasal cirri palmate and about as large as pupil diameter. Dorsal fin also with cirri at tips of spines. Head 2.9-3.6 (3.3) in SL, eye 3.0–3.9 (3.3), maxilla 2.3-3.0 (2.6) and snout 3.3-4.9 (3.8) in head length (Ref. 88983). Heavily pigmented (Ref. 1602). Overall greyish or brownish with 5 white saddles on dorsal side extending to fins, eye bar black and broad, anal fin vertical bands black, caudal fin bands grey and white (Ref. 90102).
Adults inhabit coral or rock, often under ledges, on clear lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 13227). Eggs are hemispherical and covered with numerous sticky threads that anchor them in the algae on the nesting sites (Ref. 240). Larvae are planktonic which occur primarily in shallow, nearshore waters (Ref. 94114).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Fricke, R., 1994. Tripterygiid fishes of Australia, New Zealand and the southwest Pacific Ocean (Teleostei). Theses Zool. 24:1-585. (Ref. 13227)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00550 (0.00251 - 0.01205), b=3.08 (2.89 - 3.27), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (12 of 100) .
