Species: Platygillellus rubrocinctus, Saddle stargazer


Platygillellus rubrocinctus (Longley, 1934)
Saddle stargazer
Body elongate, compressed, tapering to tail; head robust, profile angular to rounded; eyes on top of head, not on stalks; tubular nostrils; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw; top and bottom lips with skin flaps, 6-15 on top lips, 11-19 (7-21) on lower lips; upper part of operculum with a frill of skin flaps; dorsal fin originates on nape, in two sections, III spined front finlet about same height as rest of fin, main part of fin with a notch between spines and rays, XV-XVII, 14-17; anal fin II, 23-27; pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; lateral line continuous, bends down abruptly under last dorsal spine, 21-25 scales on arched part, 15-19 on straight part; scales large, smooth, head scaleless, belly and pectoral base with scales.
Whitish, with 4 dark bars, those on body ranging from very wide to narrower Vs, 1st on nape, from dorsal finlet through operculum, 3 on body extend nearly to lower profile, last one just before tail fin, may have spots between bars.
Reaches 4.8 cm.
Lives in sand in sand-rubble areas around reefs.
Depth range: 0-31 m.
Florida to the S Caribbean. Its Brazilian sister species is P. brasiliensis.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean endemic
- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 4.8
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 31