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Species: Gillellus inescatus, Flagfin Stargazer

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D XIV, 26, 1st spine v long, tip with flap
body: 8 bars
lower lip 4 flaps
A 30
straight LL 20

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


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Brooded
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Caribbean endemic
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • Island (s) only
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 3.5
Depth Range Min
  • 9
Depth Range Max
  • 30