Species: Starksia ocellata, Checkered blenny
side head: pale area with dark-ringed orange spots
Starksia ocellata (Steindachner, 1876)
Checkered blenny
Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched, tiny; dorsal fin XXI (XX-XXII), 8 (6-9), 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, 17-20; 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 (16-20) + 20-22 (20-23) scales; belly naked; smooth scales on rear of body.
Uniform to having 3 rows of indistinct dark blotches along body; sides of head and opercle with small dark outlined yellow to orange spots on a broad, unbranched pale area behind eye; lips without dark bars; pectoral base with several dark-ringed orange spots.
Reaches 6 cm.
Lives in coral and eroded coralline rock, also in sponges.
Depth range: 0-24 m.
N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.
Note: Its Brazilian sister species is S. brasiliensis.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sessile worms
- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
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- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 6
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 24
