Species: Starksia leucovitta, White saddle blenny
Starksia leucovitta Williams & Mounts, 2003
White saddle blenny
Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XVIII-XIX, 8-9, 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; pectorals usually 13; pelvic fins I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight, 15 (15-16) + 20 (19-21) scales; belly naked; smooth scales on rear of body.
Red brown; head with 4 white bars on top lips; a short oblique white bar down from rear part of eye; edge of preopercle white; a red spot on chin, a dark bar under throat; iris red, with an inner yellow ring; two brown bars separated by a pale bar from top edge of operculum to pectoral base; body with wavy red or brown bars on a pale background that extend onto base of dorsal fin; dorsal rays not covered by red bars, have a yellow spot at base; dorsal, tail and anal fins with red spots on rays, forming wavy lines on dorsal and anal.
Reaches 3.6 cm.
Lives in coralline rock and rubble areas.
Depth range: 3-30 m.
The E Caribbean.
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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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Rocks
- 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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- Carnivore
- Data
- 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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- Caribbean endemic
- All species..
- Antilles endemic
- Island (s) only
- Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Data deficient
- 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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- 30
