Species: Dactyloscopus boehlkei, Boehlke's Sand-stargazer, Boehlke's Stargazer

Dactyloscopus boehlkei Dawson, 1982

Boehlke's Sand-stargazer, Boehlke's Stargazer

Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, rounded and narrow at front; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw, top jaw reaching past eye; rear nostril a single pore next to base of tubular front nostril; eyes on top of head, distinctly stalked, but stalks short (<eye diameter), eye with a spot or skin protrusion at tip; both lips with skin flaps, top lip with 14-15 (13-16); upper part of operculum with a frill of skin flaps; 1st preopercular canal branched, with multiple pores on branches; canal pores on preoperculum 6-16; dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, continuous (rarely 1 free spine at front), X (IX-XI) spines, 30 (28-31) rays; anal rays II, 32-33; pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; a notch under lower edge of tail fin base; scales large, smooth; lateral line bends down under last dorsal spine, usually 16 pored scales on front part, total of 46 (44-47) scales; 2 rows of scales between lateral line and 1st two dorsal spines, 1 row under rest of spines.

Pale tan, with faint traces of darker color on top of back, without prominent markings.

Reaches 6.3 cm.

Lives buried in sand of beaches and around Thalassia patches.

Depth range: 0-8 m, usually <2.5 m.

The Bahamas to the SE Caribbean.