Species: Starksia variabilis, Variable Blenny

Starksia variabilis Greenfield, 1979

Variable Blenny

Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched, nasal cirrus longest; dorsal fin XXI (XX-XXI), 8 (7-9), a notch between spines and rays; anal fin II, 17 (17-18), 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 14; pelvic fins I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight, 17 (16-18) + 20 (20-21) scales; belly naked; smooth scales on rear of body.

Cheek dark, with a pale reticulating stripe from eye back onto operculum, that often encloses dark blotches, sometimes with dark-ring spots in &/or behind lower edge of that area; lips with black bars; top of head between eyes white, with a black blotch, a dark blotch behind upper part of eye, that with a white chevron behind it; body with 3 rows of dark blotches - top of back, (which extend onto dorsal fin base), midflank and below that, usually with dark dots around edges of those blotches; pectoral base with 2 dark spots on base of rays; a dark brown spot between 1st 2 dorsal fin spines; anal fin like dorsal.

Reaches 4 cm.

Reefs.

Depth range: 1-5 m.

Colombia.