Species: Starksia galapagensis, Galapagos blenny
LL 38-42
Starksia galapagensis Rosenblatt & Taylor, 1971
Galapagos blenny
Bluntly pointed head; teeth of jaws conical, curved, and pointed; roof of mouth with teeth at front & sides; a short (1/3 eye diameter), slender, unbranched cirrus on each nostril, above eye, and on each side of nape; dorsal fin XX- XXII, 8-9, a notch between spines and rays; anal II, 16-19, 1st anal spine of male long (2X 2nd spine) free from rest of fin, modified as sexual organ, male genital papilla tip separate from but not extending beyond fleshy tip of 1st anal fin spine; no ridge or fold along anal fin base; pectorals 13 (12-14); pelvic rays 3 (3rd ray rudimentary, not externally visible); lateral line scales 38-42; all of lateral line with tubes; belly scaleless.
Yellowish to reddish brown with scattered white flecks on side; body with 8-9 dark saddles on back that continue down as bars, 4-5 small dark spots on posterior half of body just above middle of side; lips with a pair of dark vertical bars; sides of head with white spots and dashes;dark spots on bases of dorsal fin elements; fins yellowish.
Size: attains 4.5 cm.
Inhabits rocky, weed-covered reefs.
Depth: 1-25 m.
Galapagos Islands.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Rocks
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef only
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- No Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
-
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Island (s)
- All species
- TEP endemic
- TEP oceanic island (s) endemic
- Island (s) only
- Galapagos Islands endemic
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Vulnerable
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 4.5
- Depth Range Min
-
- 1
- Depth Range Max
-
- 25
