''Forsterygion'' is a genus of
triplefin
Threefin or triplefin blennies are blenniiforms, small percomorph marine fish of the family Tripterygiidae. Found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the family contains about 150 species in 30 genera. Th ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Tripterygiidae native to coastal
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, but also
introduced to
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, Australia.
Species
The following species are classified in this genus:
*
Spotted robust triplefin, ''
Forsterygion capito''
*
Yellow-and-black triplefin, ''
Forsterygion flavonigrum''
Fricke & Roberts, 1994
*
Tasmanian robust triplefin, ''
Forsterygion gymnotum''
*
Common triplefin
The common triplefin (''Forsterygion lapillum'') is a fish of the genu ''Forsterygion'', found around the coast of New Zealand down to depths of about 15 m. Its length is between 4 and 8 cm. It is commonly found in intertidal rock pools. It ...
, ''
Forsterygion lapillum''
Hardy, 1989
*
Mottled triplefin, ''
Forsterygion malcolmi''
Hardy, 1987
*
Oblique-swimming triplefin, ''
Forsterygion maryannae''
*
Estuarine triplefin, ''
Forsterygion nigripenne''
*
Striped triplefin, ''
Forsterygion varium''
( Forster, 1801)
Etymology
The name of this genus is an amalgam of ''Forster'' in honour of
Johann Reinhold Forster
Johann Reinhold Forster (22 October 1729 – 9 December 1798) was a German Continental Reformed church, Reformed (Calvinist) pastor and natural history, naturalist of partially Scottish descent who made contributions to the early ornithology of ...
(1729–1798) – a naturalist aboard
Captain Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
’s second voyage on ; he collected the
type on this voyage,
describing it and naming it ''Blennius varius'' – and ''-ygion'', the second part of the genus ''Tripterygion'', into which ''F. varius'' and ''F. nigripenne'' had been placed.
References
Marine fish genera
Tripterygiidae
{{Blenniiformes-stub