Species: Starksia starcki, Key blenny
Starksia starcki Gilbert, 1971
Key blenny
Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XXI (XX-XXI), 9 (8-9), a notch between spines and rays; anal fin II, 18-19, 1st anal spine of male long, free from rest of fin, modified as sexual organ, no ridge or fold along anal fin base; pectorals 13; pelvic fins I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight, 15 (14-15) + 21 (21-22) scales; belly completely scaled; smooth scales on rear of body.
Orangish to pale tan; 2 dark spots immediately behind lower half of eye; body with 3 complete, widely separated strong, strongly contrasting dark bars at front (1st across nape and extending down onto operculum, 3rd across mid-belly) followed by either 5-6 irregular bars broken on mid-flank, sometimes by a horizontal stripe, those bars extending onto dorsal and anal fins; a large dark blotch on lower pectoral base.
Reaches 4 cm.
Lives in surge channels on reefs.
Depth range: 6-19 m.
Florida to the NW Caribbean.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Corals
- 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
-
- Data
- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- All species..
- Continental primarily
- Continent
- Island (s)
- GC endemic
- 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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- 4
- Depth Range Min
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- 6
- Depth Range Max
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- 19
