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Volume 81, 1953
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Material

The study was confined to the North Island, collections being made from tide pools, sandstone reefs and stony beaches. Most of the work was done at Welling-

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ton during 1949-51, in all months of the year. Material was also gathered in the Bay of Islands, Northland (February, 1951), at Auckland (January, 1951) and at Tolaga Bay, East Coast (February, 1951). A total of 458 fishes belonging to 10 species were collected, as detailed in Table I. The identifications of these were based on descriptions published by the following authors:—Waite, 1913 (Blenniidae), Phillipps, 1927 (Oliverichtus melobesia), Hutton (1872) (Diplocrepis puniceus), and Griffin, 1933 (Callogobius atratus and Acanthoclinidae).

As is evident from Table I, the dominant species in all four localities are the two blennies, Tripterygion varium and T. medium, and the kelpfish Acanthoclinus quadridactylus. All stages of the two former species occur in tide pools (particularly those with abundant coralline algae), in which they move about freely. Small to medium-sized examples of the latter species are also found in tide pools, but are of much more cryptic habit than are the blennies, remaining under cover beneath stones during the daytime. Examples of A. quadridactylus exceeding 9 cm. in length are seldom found in any but the largest rock pools briefly isolated when the tide is at its lowest. These larger stages usually remain in the kelp belt, although at Point Jerningham, within Wellington Harbour, they abound beneath loose rocks and concrete blocks at the low tide mark. It has been suggested (Oliver, 1923) that the swellings at the tips of the median rays of the dorsal and anal fins of Acanthoclinus are sensory adaptations to life in the narrow crevices beneath stones. On those parts of the coast where rocky headlands are absent but sandstone reefs occur, the habits of the blennies change accordingly. Thus at St. Heliers, Auckland, T. varium and A. quadridactylus occur together at low tide in the small pockets of water beneath loose sandstone blocks on the reef.

Table I.
Summary of Collection Data.
Systematic Position Number Examined for Protozoa
Bay of Islands Auckland Tolaga Bay Wellington Total
Gobioidea
Gobiidae (Gobies)
Callogobius atratus Griffin, 1933 0 0 0 1 1
Xenopterygii
Gobiesocidae (Clingfishes)
Diplocrepis puniceus (Richardson, 1846) 0 0 0 96 96
Oliverichtus melobesia (Phillipps, 1927) 1 0 0 29 30
Blennioidea
Blenniidae (Blennies)
Ericentrus rubrus (Hutton, 1872) 0 0 0 20 20
Tripterygion tripenne (Forster, 1801) 0 0 0 1 1
Tripterygion varium (Forster, 1801) 5 6 9 90 110
Tripterygion medium (Günther, 1861) 36 2 6 75 119
Notoclinus fenestratus (Forster, 1801) 0 0 0 1 1
Acanthoclinidae (Kelpfishies)
Acanthoclinidae quadridactylus (Forster, 1801) 5 4 11 56 76
Acanthoclinus trilineatus Griffin, 1933 0 0 0 4 4
Grand Totals 47 12 26 373 458

Species often locally abundant, but not as commonly encountered as the preceding ones, are the blenny, Ericentrus rubrus, and the clingfishes, Diplocrepis

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puniceus and Oliverichtus melobesia. E. rubrus is found in the masses of brown algae in and about the last rock pools to be exposed at low tide, and was only collected on the headlands of the ocean beaches just south of Wellington. D. puniceus was also taken in the vicinity of Wellington only. This species occurs beneath stones in the surf belt (Oliver, 1923), and frequently attaches itself beneath smooth, rounded boulders in tide pools. It is particularly abundant, in association with A. quadridactylus, beneath the rocks and concrete blocks exposed at the low tide mark at Point Jerningham. O. melobesia was collected at Long Beach, Russell (Bay of Islands), and at Wellington. This species is found clinging to the lower surfaces of smoothy rounded stones, frequently ones of very small size, between tide marks. It is locally restricted in its distribution, but abounds at Princess Bay and Fisherman's Creek, Island Bay, on the coast to the south of Wellington.

Acanthoclinus trilineatus, which is much less frequently encountered than is A. quadridactylus, was collected only at Island Bay, Wellington, where it inhabits the deeper rock pools and the kelp belt. Tripterygion tripenne and Notoclinus fenestratus rarely enter rock pools, although the latter blenny is said to be quite common in the masses of brown algae on the seaward faces of rocky headlands. Callogobius atratus is one of the few New Zealand gobies which dwells in the sea. It is rarely encountered, the single example found during this survey being collected under a rock exposed during a spring tide near Fisherman's Creek, Island Bay.

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