New records of six combtooth blennies in the genera Blenniella, Cirripectes, Istiblennius, and Salarias (Perciformes: Blenniidae) from Taiping Island, South China Sea

Abstract

The family Blenniidae comprises 59 genera and 413 valid species worldwide, of which 25 genera and 69 species are recorded from Taiwan. Previous work documented 11 species of blennies from Taiping Island, Nansha Islands, South China Sea but subsequent ichthyofaunal surveys conducted in May-June 2024-2025 using clove oil and hand nets in intertidal tidepools, shallow rocky reefs, and seagrass habitats yielded additional, previously unrecorded taxa. Here we report Blenniella chrysospilos, B. periophthalmus, Cirripectes variolosus, Istiblennius dussumieri, I. lineatus, and Salarias fasciatus from Taiping Island, based on detailed morphometric and meristic data supported by X-ray examinations. Diagnostic characters, live coloration, and habitat information are provided for each species, thereby refining the blenniid fauna of Taiping Island and expanding knowledge of blenny diversity in southern Taiwanese waters.