Species: Gillellus jacksoni, Jackson's Stargazer

Gillellus jacksoni Dawson, 1982

Jackson's Stargazer

Body compressed, tapering to tail; head moderate size; tubular nostrils; eyes on top of head, not on stalks, with a ring of flaps at their tips; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw, 2-4 skin flaps on lower lip, none on top lip; upper part of operculum with a frill of skin flaps; dorsal fin in 2 sections, 1st section a finlet of III spines with origin on nape, sometimes 1-2 free spines behind this, then main fin, XVII-XX spines, 18-20 soft rays; anal fin with 28-30 rays; pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; scales large, smooth; lateral line bends down just behind spiny section of dorsal fin; 22-23 scales on arched section of lateral line, 18-19 on straight section, total scales 43-46; scales smooth, head and underbelly behind pelvic fins scaleless.

Pale, with 6-7 narrow dark bars between nape and tail fin base, those narrower than interspaces and of uniform thickness from top to bottom; incomplete secondary bars between those; top and upper sides of head mottled and blotched with brown.

Reaches 2.9 cm.

Lives in sand bottoms.

Depth range: 0-17 m.

The NW to SE Caribbean.