Species: Starksia culebrae, Culebra Blenny

Starksia culebrae (Evermann & Marsh, 1899)

Culebra Blenny

Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XXI (XX-XXII), 8 (7-9), a notch between spines and rays; 1st anal spine of male long, free from rest of fin, modified as sexual organ, no ridge or fold along anal fin base; fin II, 17-19; pectorals usually 14; pelvic fins I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight, 17 (16-19) + 21 (20-22) scales; belly naked; smooth scales on rear of body.

Head with a broad unbranched pale area from eye onto operculum; lips with black bars, a meshwork of small blackish blotches on body, those at top of body form a row of ~6 very dark blotches, each containing 2 red spots, that extend onto the dorsal fin; no dark bar on pectoral base, but two reddish, dark ringed spots.

Reaches 3.7 cm.

Lives on lagoonal reefs.

Depth range: 0-10 m.

E to SE Caribbean.