Enneapterygius elaine Holleman 2005

Dorsal fins III + XIII + 10 (rarely with 12 spines and 9-11 rays); anal fin I,17-19; pectoral fins 15: 3+5+7 (rarely 4+4+7); lateral line with 14-15 (usually 14) pored scales and 21-22 notched scales (rarely 20-23), starting second scale row below end of pored segment. Total lateral scales 33; transverse scales 2/5. Vertebrae: 10 precaudal, 25 caudal. Mandibular pores: 3+1+3. Head 3.2-4.0 in SL; eye 2.4-3.0 in head length. Small fish, seldom longer than 20 mm SL. Body slender, scales large, nape scaled, abdomen naked. Pelvic fin rays slender, united by membrane for half the length of the longer ray. First dorsal fin about half height of second. Pectoral fin large, longest ray reaching to penultimate spine of second dorsal fin. Mouth oblique, small and pointed, maxilla reaching vertical through anterior margin of orbit. Orbital cirrus small and pointed (Ref. 57774).

Dorsal spines (total): 12 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 17 - 19; Vertebrae: 35

Known only from the lagoon around the island of Rodrigues (Ref. 57774).

Known only from the lagoon around the island of Rodrigues (Ref. 57774). 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).

Enneapterygius elaine is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus Enneapterygius. It was described by Wouter Holleman in 2005. It is a tropical blenny known from Rodrigues Island, in the western Indian Ocean. Male Enneapterygius elaine can reach a maximum length of 2.3 centimetres. The specific name honours Elaine Heemstra of the Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity in Grahamstown who provided illustrations of reef fish for Holleman, including some in the paper in which this species was described.