Species: Starksia rava, Tawny blenny
cheek: red-brown spots in pale mesh
under head 3-4 rows dark spots
Starksia rava Williams & Mounts, 2003
Tawny blenny
Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XX (XIX-XXI), 8 (7-9), 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 with I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight, 15 (15-16) + 20 (19-23) scales; belly and pectoral base naked; smooth scales on rear of body.
Head and body pale greenish-brown; upper lip usually with bars; no black spot at front of dorsal fin; cheeks with reddish brown to brown spots on a pale reticulum (more extensive in female); underside of head with 3-4 rows of dark spots; a row of 5-6 small dark spots along edge of preopercle; base of pectoral variable, with pale lines and red to black spots; body with 8-9 dark saddles extending onto base of dorsal fin; dorsal and anal with pale edges, a dark stripe inside that, and a row of dark spots along the base.
Reaches 3 cm.
Lives on reefs in rock and rubble, on both windward reef walls and in lagoons.
Depth range: 0-26 m.
The SE 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
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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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- Sessile worms
- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Continent only
- All species..
- Caribbean endemic
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- 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
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 26
