Species: Starksia sella, Darksaddle blenny
rear 1/3 body - dark dots
cheeks dark + reticulating pale spots
Starksia sella Williams & Mounts, 2003
Darksaddle blenny
Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XIX (XVIII-XIX), 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; 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, 16 (15-16) + 21 (20-21) scales; belly and pectoral base naked; smooth scales on rear of body.
Cheeks with reticulating pale spots on a dark background; lips with dark bars; rear 1/3 of body usually peppered with scale-sized dark spots; males without black blotch between dorsal spines I-IV, with small pale spots on snout and between eyes; lips with dark bars; a pale diagonal bar from gill opening across pectoral base; body with 9 dark saddles that extend onto lower half of dorsal fin; anal and tail fins with irregular dark bars.
Reaches 3.1 cm.
Found in crevices on vertical rock walls and on deeper reefs.
Depth range: 5-29 m.
SE 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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- Reef only
- Rocks
- Corals
- 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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- Data
- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Continent only
- All species..
- 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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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 3.1
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 29
