Species: Heteristius cinctus, Banded sand-stargazer
3 black bars + ~ 12 black & white saddles
C no branched rays
Heteristius cinctus (Osburn & Nichols, 1916)
Banded sand-stargazer
Body compressed, tapering to tail; head pointed; eyes not on stalks; top and bottom lips with skin flaps; tubular nostrils; dorsal fin in 3 parts, front part a II-spined finlet with its origin over nape, then 1-2 free spines before the main part of the fin, II + (I-(I + I)) + XVI-XIX, 18-22; segmented anal rays 33-36 (usually 34-35); pectoral rays 13-15 (usually 14); lateral line continuous, bends down under dorsal spines VIII-XII; scales smooth, head scaleless, belly completely scaled; total lateral-line scales 52-56; scales in straight (posterior) part of lateral line 31-35 (usually 32-33).
Translucent, with 3 blackish bars on side and about 12 blackish saddles across back, each bordered by white saddles; several white spots along mid-side; a central black blotch just before base of tail fin; tail fin with a white bar on its base.
Size: to 4.5 cm.
Habitat: sandy bottoms.
Depth: 1-30 m.
Southern Baja and the mouth of the Gulf of California to Ecuador.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- Continent
- All species
- Continental TEP endemic
- TEP endemic
- 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 4.5
- Depth Range Min
-
- 1
- Depth Range Max
-
- 30
