Species: Starksia weigti, Weigt's Blenny, Whitelip Blenny

Starksia weigti Baldwin & Castillo, 2011

Whitelip Blenny, Weigt's Blenny

Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; eye, nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XX (XIX-XX), 8 (7-8), a notch between spines and rays; 1st anal spine of male long, free from rest of fin, modified as sexual organ, no ridge or fold along anal fin base; anal fin II, 17 (16-17); pectorals 13 (12-13); pelvic fins I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight; belly completely scaled; smooth scales on rear of body.

Head and body pale red-brown, body with indistinct irregular dark bars; preserved male with no dark spots or bars on lower jaw; preoperculum of male with a large dark blotch at lower rear corner, a thin pale bar extending down and back from eye to meet that blotch; lips of fresh fish of both sexes peppered with conspicuous round white spots; preserved fish of both sexes without dark bars on lips; body scales each with a short dark bar; a row of small dark spots along the bases of the dorsal and anal fins, a small dark spot at the end of the bases of those two fins.

Reaches 3.5 cm.

Lives in live coral areas, usually on dropoffs.

Depth range: 1-27 m.

SW Gulf of Mexico to the N Caribbean.