Species: Dactyloscopus moorei, Speckled Stargazer
eye without spots/flaps

rear nostril a hole near front tubular nostril
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.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Brooded
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends North of GC
- GC endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 8.6
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 35