Species: Dactyloscopus pectoralis, Whitesaddle stargazer

Dactyloscopus pectoralis Gill, 1861

Whitesaddle stargazer

Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, rounded and narrow at front; eyes protrusible, on stalks, without papillae; tubular nostrils; rear nostril opens at base of  front nostril; both lips with skin flaps (usually unbranched), 9 (7-11) above, 14 (12-19) below; edge of operculum with 12 (8-16) skin flaps;dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, front III-IV spines separate from fin and without membranes, XII (X-XIII), 24 (23-26); anal II, 28 (26-30); pectoral usually 13 rays; notch under end of tail base; tail fin long (~18.3% SL), rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, bends down under last dorsal spine; scales smooth, head and belly scaleless; lateral line scales 42 (39-44); no scales above upper front part of lateral line, usually none above arch of line.

Upper head pale brown, a broad white T shape blotch across top of rear part of head with forward extension to nearly between eyes; an oblique double bar (front bar dark, rear bar white) down and back from eye; usually a white blotch on upper rear part of operculum; inside mouth unpigmented: upper back grey-brown, with a series of ~7-10 white, dark-edged saddles along midline of back, sides paler, flecked with dark marks; may have dark stripes along straight rear part of lateral line and above anal fin.

Size: attains 5.3 cm.

Inhabits sand bottoms, including in tide pools.

Depth: 0.2-46 m.

Southern Baja California and the west and northeast Gulf of California.