A New Indo-Pacific Fish of the Genus Cirripectes (Blenniidae, Salariini)

Cirripectes auritus is described from the Line Islands in the central Pacific, southeast Asia, and the western Indian Ocean. It is dis­ tinguished from other Cirripectes in having a small black flap with a fringe of tiny yellow cirri on either side of the nape, a low number of premaxillary and dentary incisor teeth, 15-17 dorsal and 16-18 anal rays, and a reduced number of cephalic sensory pores. THE SPECIES OF Cirripectes are small, agile, herbivorous fishes of the Indo-Pacific region. They are most commonly observed in shal­ low surge-zone habitats, although one undes­ cribed species has been taken as deep as 33 m. Most species are secretive, drably col­ ored, and often overlooked, but they are frequently among the most numerous fishes taken in shallow-water rotenone stations. They are most closely related to a group of genera including Scartichthys from the eas­ tern Pacific; Ophioblennius from the eastern Pacific and eastern and western Atlantic; Pereulixia from the western Indian Ocean; and Exallias, which occurs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Cirripectes differs from these genera chiefly by a combination of characters, including a continuous or nearly continuous row of cirri across the nape, a single continuous lateral line, 14-17 dorsal and 15-18 anal fin rays, and a pair of posterior canines on the dentaries. Most of the species are similar in morphology and coloration, and, in the absence of a thorough revision of the genus, they are often difficult to identify. Several authors have reported on Cirri­ pectes from the Pacific and Indian oceans. Schultz (1943) listed four species from the