Description

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 17 - 20; Vertebrae: 35 - 36. Diagnosis: Dorsal fin III + XIII+ 10-11, second fin twice height of first in males (Comoro Is.); anal fin I + 19-20; pectoral rays 16 (2+7+7); pelvic fin I, 2, spine short and hidden, segmented rays simple, partially united by membrane. Vertebrae 10 + 25-26. LL total lateral scales 38-39, pored series 19-25 (121) scales, terminates at caudal fin base; nape with scales, bases of caudal and anterior of anal fin scaleless. Mandibular pores 2-3+1+2-3. Head length 3.4 in SL; eye 2.8; maxilla 2.2 in HL. Body with 5 H-shaped bars; dorsal, anal and caudal fins pigmented with spots or stripes. Live color not known but in alcohol females and juveniles are paler than males (Ref. 75031).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Blenniiformes

Family: Tripterygiidae

Genus: Helcogramma

Species: Helcogramma billi Hansen, 1986

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

Adults live on rock surfaces and under ledges; common at depths less than 10 m (Ref. 6211). 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).

Habitat

demersal