Species: Dactyloscopus moorei, Speckled Stargazer

Dactyloscopus moorei (Fowler, 1906)

Speckled Stargazer

Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, slightly concave behind eye, rounded and narrow at front; eyes on top of head, distinctly stalked, stalk ~length of eye diameter, without a ring of spots or flaps at tip; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw, top jaw reaching past eye; rear nostril a single pore near base of tubular front nostril; operculum and both lips with skin flaps, 9-22 on operculum, usually 13-17 on top lip; 1st preopercular canal branched, with multiple pores on branches; canal pores on preoperculum 3-18; dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, fin usually continuous but a notch between spines III-IV, usually XI-XII (IX-XIII) spines, 28-29 (26-30) rays; anal fin II, 32 (30-34); pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; no notch under lower edge of tail fin base; scales large, smooth; lateral line bends down under last dorsal spine, 46 (43-47) pored scales; 2-4 rows of scales on each side of nape before dorsal fin, center of nape scaleless; 3-4 rows of scales between lateral line and 1st dorsal spine, 1.5-2 row under rest of spines.

Top of head and body blotched or irregularly barred with brown; upper sides flecked with brown, with indications of stripes along scale rows.

Reaches 8.6 cm.

Lives in soft sand bottoms.

Depth range: 0-35 m.

N Carolina to Texas.