Species: Starksia occidentalis, Occidental blenny
Starksia occidentalis Greenfield, 1979
Occidental blenny
Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XXI (XX-XXI), 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; anal fin II, 17 (16-17); 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 (16-17) + 19-20 (19-21) scales; belly naked; smooth scales on rear of body.
Side of head with pale Y-shaped area, its lower edge with dark-ringed spots; lips with black bars; top of head with a brown bar across nape at level of operculum end; body pale, with 3 rows of brown blotches (each <eye), one row along dorsal fin base, 1 row a little above midline, 3rd row below midline; pectoral base with two dark-ringed spots; dorsal fin with a distinct spot between spines I-II; tail fin with 4-5 brown bars.
Reaches 3.6 cm.
Lives in a variety of habitats, coral, coral rock, rubble on inner and outer reefs.
Depth range 3-15 m, usually < 2 m.
The W Caribbean.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- Corals
- Sand & gravel
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sessile worms
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Live birth
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- All species..
- Continental primarily
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 3.6
- Depth Range Min
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- 3
- Depth Range Max
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- 15
