Species: Dactyloscopus poeyi, Shortchin Stargazer
eye without spots/flaps

rear nostril a hole near front tubular nostril
Dactyloscopus poeyi Gill, 1861
Shortchin Stargazer
Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, rounded and narrow at front; eyes on top of head, distinctly stalked, stalks ~length of eye diameter or slightly longer,with/without a spot at tip; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw, tip of lower jaw blunt when viewed from above; tubular nostrils; rear nostril a single pore near base of tubular front nostril; top jaw not reaching only under center of eye; both lips with skin flaps, usually 13-17 on top lip; operculum with 17-20 skin flaps; dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, fin usually discontinuous, usually 2-3 free spines at front, XII-XIII (XI-XIV) spines, 28-29 (26-30) rays; anal fin II, 33 (32-35); 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;lateral line continuous, bends down under last dorsal spine; scales large, smooth, head and belly scaleless; 47 (45-48) pored scales; no scales on nape before dorsal fin; 3-4 rows of scales between lateral line and 1st dorsal spine, 1.5-2 rows under rest of spines.
Top and sides of head blotched with brown; upper body with 10-13 brownish bars between nape and tail fin base, often with indications of a dark stripe along mid flank; often pigment inside mouth.
Reaches 6 cm.
In sand bottoms in surgy areas.
Depth range: 0-10 m.
The Bahamas through the Caribbean.

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
- Beach
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- 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 + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 6
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 10