plSSN : 0374-8111 | elSSN : 2287-8815
plSSN : 0374-8111 | elSSN : 2287-8815
plSSN : 0374-8111elSSN : 2287-8815
First record of the White-spotted triplefin Enneapterygius leucopunctatus(Teleostei: Tripterygiidae) from Jeju-do Island, Korea
오도현·방소현·김진구*
국립부경대학교 수산생명과학부 자원생물학전공
Herein, we report the first recorded occurrence of Enneapterygius leucopunctatus (family Tripterygiidae) in Korea, based on five specimens (standard length: 27.1-35.0 mm) collected from a tidal pool in Gangjeong-dong, Jeju-do Island, between June 2025 and February 2026. These specimens were readily distinguished from those of the congeneric species E. leucopunctatus, in having an unbranched dermal flap on the nasal cirri (vs. branched), 15-18 pored lateral line scales (vs. 17-20), two white bands on the shoulder girdle (vs. no bands), 12-13 second dorsal fin spines (vs. 13-15), and a first dorsal fin lower than the second (vs. a first dorsal fin higher than the second). Furthermore, in terms of genetic distance, sequences of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (588-592 bp) of the newly collected specimens clearly differed from those of E. etheostoma (K2P distance = 22.59%-23.17%). In this paper, we describe the morphological and molecular traits of these specimens and propose the new Korean name “Ttal-gi-ga-mak-be-do-ra-chi” for E. leucopunctatus, based on the deep scarlet coloration of these fish.
Enneapterygius leucopunctatus, Tripterygiidae, Tide pool, First record, Korea