Special Publication (J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology) no.9

Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 9Klipfishes of the subfamily Clininae are among the dominant intertidal fishes in southern Africa. Except for a few tropical clinine members such as Clinus xanthosoma Bleeker, Clinus ekloniae McKay and Petraites roseus (Gunther), these diverse temperate forms seem to be replaced by members of the Blenniidae in the intertidal zone of the tropical Indo-Pacific. Klipfishes have not been collected often in the tropical IndoPacific, but often enough to indicate a distribution for C. xanthosoma from Japan through the Philippines to Indonesia and Ceylon. In a recent publication Shen (1971 b) has brought our knowledge of C. xanthosoma up to date and described a new genus, Springeratus to house this species. The status of C. halei has been and still remains uncertain since Day described it in 1888. While collecting fishes at Mauritius, an undescribed intertidal clinid was obtained. This population of live-bearing klipfish contributes to our understanding of the zoogeography and possible relationships of Australian and southern African Clininae. Penrith (1969: r 14) hypothesized sea-weed transport of a clinid ancestor from Australia to South Africa. The Mauritian species favours her hypothesis as well as casting some doubt on the validity of Springeratus as a genus different from Clinus (sensu Penrith, 1969)