Species: Starksia species A, Saba Blenny

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.