# Threefin blenny

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Threefin_blenny
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Threefin_blenny.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefin_blenny
> Source revision: 1256223932
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Family of fishes}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{No footnotes|date=November 2024}}
}}
{{Automatic_taxobox
| name = Threefin blennies
| image = Notoclinops caerulepunctus (Blue dot triplefin).jpg
| image_caption = [Blue dot triplefin](/source/Blue_dot_triplefin)<br>''Notoclinops caerulepunctus''
| taxon = Tripterygiidae
| authority = [Whitley](/source/Gilbert_Percy_Whitley), 1931
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = See text
}}
'''Threefin''' or '''triplefin blennies''' are [blenniiform](/source/blenny)s, small [percomorph](/source/Percomorpha) marine [fish](/source/fish) of the family '''Tripterygiidae'''. Found in tropical and temperate waters of the [Atlantic](/source/Atlantic_Ocean), [Pacific](/source/Pacific_Ocean) and [Indian Ocean](/source/Indian_Ocean)s, the family contains about 150 species in 30 genera. The family name derives from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) ''tripteros'' meaning "with three wings".

With an elongated, typical blenny form, threefin blennies differ from their relatives by having a [dorsal fin](/source/dorsal_fin) separated into three parts (hence the name); the first two are spinous. The small, slender pelvic fins are located underneath the throat and possess a single spine; the large anal fin may have one or two spines. The pectoral fins are greatly enlarged, and the tail fin is rounded. The [New Zealand topknot](/source/New_Zealand_topknot), ''Notoclinus fenestratus'', is the largest species at 20&nbsp;cm in total length; most other species do not exceed 6&nbsp;cm.

Many threefin blennies are brightly coloured, often for reasons of [camouflage](/source/camouflage); these species are popular in the [aquarium](/source/aquarium) hobby. As [demersal fish](/source/demersal_fish), threefin blennies spend most of their time on or near the bottom on [coral](/source/coral) and rocks. The fish are typically found in shallow, clear waters with sun exposure, such as [lagoon](/source/lagoon)s and seaward [reef](/source/reef)s; nervous fish, they retreat to rock crevices at any perceived threat.

Threefin blennies are [diurnal](/source/diurnal_animal) and territorial; many species exhibit [sexual dichromatism](/source/sexual_dimorphism), with the females drab compared to the males. The second dorsal fin is also extended in the males of some species. Small [invertebrate](/source/invertebrate)s comprise the bulk of the threefin blenny diet.

==Genera==
FishBase lists about 150 species in 30 genera:
*Subfamily [Notoclininae](/source/Notoclininae) <small>[Fricke](/source/Ronald_Fricke), 2009</small>
**''[Brachynectes](/source/Brachynectes)'' <small>[Scott](/source/Trevor_D._Scott), 1957</small>
**''[Notoclinus](/source/Notoclinus)'' <small>[Gill](/source/Theodore_Nicholas_Gill), 1893</small>
* Subfamily [Tripterygiinae](/source/Tripterygiinae) <small>Whitley, 1931</small>
* ''[Acanthanectes](/source/Acanthanectes)'' <small>[Holleman](/source/Wouter_Holleman) & [Buxton](/source/Colin_Buxton), 1993</small>
* ''[Apopterygion](/source/Apopterygion)'' <small>[Kuiter](/source/Rudie_Hermann_Kuiter), 1986</small>
* ''[Axoclinus](/source/Axoclinus)'' <small>[Fowler](/source/Henry_Weed_Fowler), 1944</small>
* ''[Bellapiscis](/source/Bellapiscis)'' <small>[Hardy](/source/Graham_S._Hardy), 1987</small>
* ''[Blennodon](/source/Blennodon)'' <small>Hardy, 1987</small>
* ''[Ceratobregma](/source/Ceratobregma)'' <small>Holleman, 1987</small>
[[image:Fosterygion flavonigrum (Yellow & black triplefin).jpg|thumb|[Yellow-and-black triplefin](/source/Yellow-and-black_triplefin)<br>''Forsterygion flavonigrum'']]
* ''[Cremnochorites](/source/Cremnochorites)'' <small>Holleman, 1982</small>
* ''[Crocodilichthys](/source/Crocodilichthys)'' <small>[Allen](/source/George_Allen_(ichthyologist)) & [Robertson](/source/David_Ross_Robertson), 1991</small>
* ''[Cryptichthys](/source/Cryptichthys)'' <small>Hardy, 1987</small>
* ''[Enneanectes](/source/Enneanectes)'' <small>[D.S. Jordan](/source/David_Starr_Jordan) & [Evermann](/source/Barton_Warren_Evermann), 1895</small>
* ''[Enneapterygius](/source/Enneapterygius)'' <small>[Rüppell](/source/R%C3%BCppell), 1835</small>
* ''[Forsterygion](/source/Forsterygion)'' <small>Whitley & [Phillipps](/source/Walter_J._Phillips), 1939</small>
* ''[Gilloblennius](/source/Gilloblennius)'' <small>Whitley & Phillipps, 1939</small>
* ''[Helcogramma](/source/Helcogramma)'' <small>[McCulloch](/source/Allan_Riverstone_McCulloch) & [Waite](/source/Edgar_Ravenswood_Waite), 1918</small>
* ''[Helcogrammoides](/source/Helcogrammoides)'' <small>[Rosenblatt](/source/Richard_Heinrich_Rosenblatt), 1990</small>
* ''[Karalepis](/source/Karalepis)'' <small>Hardy, 1984</small>
* ''[Lepidoblennius](/source/Lepidoblennius)'' <small>[Steindachner](/source/Franz_Steindachner), 1867</small>
* ''[Lepidonectes](/source/Lepidonectes)'' <small>[Bussing](/source/William_Albert_Bussing), 1991</small>
* ''[Matanui](/source/Matanui)'' <small>[Jawad](/source/Laith_A._Jawad) & [Clements](/source/Kendall_David_Clements), 2004</small>
* ''[Norfolkia](/source/Norfolkia)'' <small>Fowler, 1953</small>
* ''[Notoclinops](/source/Notoclinops)'' <small>Whitley, 1930</small>
[[image:Notoclinops segmentatus (Blue-eyed triplefin).jpg|thumb|[Blue-eyed triplefin](/source/Blue-eyed_triplefin)<br>''Notoclinops segmentatus'']]  
* ''[Ruanoho](/source/Ruanoho)'' <small>Hardy, 1986</small>
* ''[Springerichthys](/source/Springerichthys)'' <small>[Shen](/source/Shen_Shih-Chieh), 1994</small>
* ''[Trianectes](/source/Trianectes)'' <small>McCulloch & Waite, 1918</small>
* ''[Trinorfolkia](/source/Trinorfolkia)'' <small>Fricke, 1994</small>
* ''[Tripterygion](/source/Tripterygion)'' <small>[Risso](/source/Antoine_Risso), 1827</small>
* ''[Ucla](/source/Ucla_(fish))'' <small>Holleman, 1993</small>

== References ==
* {{FishBase family | family = Tripterygiidae | month = June | year = 2006}}

{{diversity of fish}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1257814}}

Category:Tripterygiidae
Category:Blenniiformes

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Threefin blenny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefin_blenny) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefin_blenny?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.