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Species: Starksia species A, Saba Blenny

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

no eye cirrus
body : irregular blotch pattern
cheek - pale + dark bar
large dark spot: end base D & A
bases D & A: red spot outside body blotch

Starksia species A

Saba Blenny

Body elongate, compressed; bluntly pointed head; no eye cirri; nostril and nape cirri unbranched; dorsal fin XIX (XVIII-XX), 5-7, 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; pectorals usually 13-14; pelvic fins I (internal), 2, inserted before pectoral base; all fin rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, front section arched, rear section straight; belly scaleless to rear 1/3 scaled; smooth scales on rear of body.

Head and body pale brown, with irregular dark red-brown blotches in a network of thin pale lines, those blotches indistinct and irregularly arranged on body, the upper blotches forming saddles on the upper back, although body sometimes nearly uniform; dark bars under eye, cheek behind eye whitish, with a dark spot or small irregular dark bar, without a dark line along rear edge of preopercle; bases of dorsal and anal fin elements situated above a body blotch with a red-brown spot; a prominent ¾ eye-sized black spot on top (and sometimes bottom) of body at end of dorsal fin base extending onto bases of last soft dorsal (and anal) rays.

Reaches 2.5 cm.

Lives on reef flats and outer reefs in coral rich areas.

Depth range: 1-24 m.

The SE Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Live birth
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Antilles endemic
  • Caribbean endemic
  • Continental primarily
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s) only
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Not evaluated / Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 2.5
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 24