''Helcogramma'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the

triplefin Threefin or triplefin blennies are blenny, blenniiforms, small Percomorpha, percomorph marine fish of the family Tripterygiidae. Found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Tripterygiidae. The blennies in the genus ''Helcogramma'' are found throughout the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

and in the South Atlantic Ocean off the islands of

St Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

and

Ascension Ascension or ascending may refer to: Religion * "Ascension", the belief in some religions that some individuals have ascended into Heaven without dying first. The Catholic concept of the Assumption of Mary leaves open the question of her deat ...

Characteristics

The fishes in the genus ''Helcogramma'' are characterised by the possession of a continuous

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelia ...

which bends down towards the operculum, this lateral line comprises 7–39 tubular pored scales. There are three spines in the first

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

and the

anal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported o ...

has one spine, the

pelvic fin Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral (belly) surface of fish, and are the lower of the only two sets of paired fins (the other being the laterally positioned pectoral fins). The pelvic fins are homologous to the hi ...

has a single spine and two rays. The head is scaleless and normally the bases of the dorsal and anal fins have a scaleless strip. There are five bones in the joint between the

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

and the

vertebrae Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spinal ...

, the hypurals.

Species

There are currently 41 recognized species in this genus: * ''

Helcogramma albimacula ''Helcogramma albimacula'' is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus '' Helcogramma''. It was described by Jeffery T. Williams and Jeffrey C. Howe in 2003. This species is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in ...

'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 (Whitespot triplefin) * '' Helcogramma alkamr''

Holleman Holleman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Boyce Holleman (1924–2003), American war veteran, attorney, politician, and actor * Frederik David Holleman (1887–1958), Dutch and South African professor, ethnologist, and legal ...

, 2007 * '' Helcogramma aquila'' J. T. Williams & C. J. McCormick, 1990 (Darktail triplefin) * '' Helcogramma ascensionis''

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, 1980 (Ascension triplefin) * '' Helcogramma atauroensis'' Fricke & Erdmann, 2017 * '' Helcogramma billi'' P. E. Hadley, 1986 * '' Helcogramma capidata'' Rosenblatt, 1960 (Hooded triplefin) * '' Helcogramma cerasina'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 * '' Helcogramma chica'' Rosenblatt, 1960 (Little hooded triplefin) * '' Helcogramma decurrens'' McCulloch & Waite, 1918 (Black-throated triplefin) * '' Helcogramma desa'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 (Neglected triplefin) * '' Helcogramma ellioti'' ( Herre, 1944) * '' Helcogramma ememes''

, 2007 * '' Helcogramma fuscipectoris'' ( Fowler, 1946) (Fourspot triplefin) * '' Helcogramma fuscopinna''

, 1982 (Blackfin triplefin) * '' Helcogramma gymnauchen'' ( M. C. W. Weber, 1909) (Red-finned triplefin) * '' Helcogramma hudsoni'' (

D. S. Jordan David Starr Jordan (January 19, 1851 – September 19, 1931) was the founding president of Stanford University, serving from 1891 to 1913. He was an ichthyologist during his research career. Prior to serving as president of Stanford Universi ...

& Seale, 1906) (Hudson's triplefin) * '' Helcogramma inclinata'' ( Fowler, 1946) (Triangle triplefin) * '' Helcogramma ishigakiensis'' Aoyagi, 1954 * '' Helcogramma kranos'' R. Fricke, 1997 (Helmet triplefin) * '' Helcogramma lacuna'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 * '' Helcogramma larvata'' R. Fricke & J. E. Randall, 1992 * '' Helcogramma maldivensis'' R. Fricke & J. E. Randall, 1992 * '' Helcogramma microstigma''

, 2006 * '' Helcogramma nesion'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 * '' Helcogramma nigra'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 (Rotuma triplefin) * ''

Helcogramma novaecaledoniae ''Helcogramma novaecaledoniae'', known commonly as the New Caledonian triplefin, is a species of triplefin blenny in the genus ''Helcogramma''. It was described by Ronald Fricke in 1994. This species is found in the western Pacific Ocean where i ...

'' R. Fricke, 1994 (New Caledonian triplefin) * ''

Helcogramma obtusirostris ''Helcogramma obtusirostris'', the hotlips triplefin or shortsnout triplefin, is a triplefin blenny of the family Tripterygiidae, found from the Red Sea south to South Africa and east to the western Pacific, and the southeast Atlantic, around As ...

'' ( Klunzinger, 1871) (Hotlips triplefin) * '' Helcogramma randalli'' J. T. Williams & Howe, 2003 (Randall's triplefin) * '' Helcogramma rharhabe''

, 2007 * '' Helcogramma rhinoceros'' P. E. Hadley, 1986 (Rhinocerus triplefin) * '' Helcogramma rosea''

, 2006 (Rosy triplefin) * '' Helcogramma serendip''

, 2007 * '' Helcogramma shinglensis'' Lal Mohan, 1971 * '' Helcogramma solorensis'' R. Fricke, 1997 (Solor triplefin) * '' Helcogramma springeri'' P. E. Hadley, 1986 (Springer's triplefin) * '' Helcogramma steinitzi'' E. Clark, 1980 (Red triplefin) * '' Helcogramma striata'' P. E. Hadley, 1986 (Tropical striped triplefin) * '' Helcogramma trigloides'' (

Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Helcogramma vulcana'' J. E. Randall & E. Clark, 1993 (Volcano triplefin) * '' Helcogramma williamsi'' M. C. Chiang & I. S. Chen, 2012

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q628986 Tripterygiidae Taxa named by Allan Riverstone McCulloch Taxa named by Edgar Ravenswood Waite