Species: Gillellus inescatus, Flagfin Stargazer

Gillellus inescatus Williams, 2002

Flagfin Stargazer

Body compressed, tapering to tail; head moderate sized; eyes on top of head, not on stalks, with a circlet of flaps at tip; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw, 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 (1st spine elongated and with a fleshy flag at tip), with origin on nape, sometimes 1-2 free spines behind this, then main fin, XIV spines 26 soft rays; anal fin with 30 rays; lateral line bends down just behind spiny section of dorsal fin; pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; scales large, smooth; 23 scales on arched section of lateral line, 20 on straight section, total 43; head and underbelly behind pelvic fins scaleless.

White, top of head with blue dots on snout, cheeks and back to pectoral base; 4 thin bars back and down from eye; cheek with 3 broad diagonal bars; operculum white, circled with a red-brown ring; 8 red-brown saddles on upper 2/3 of body from nape to tail fin base; flap on tip of 1st dorsal spine with red-brown edges.

Reaches 3.5 cm.

Lives in sand bottoms.

Depth range: 9-30 m.

Navassa Island to the St John, USVI