Species: Starksia posthon, Brown-spotted blenny
LL 39
Starksia posthon Rosenblatt & Taylor, 1971
Brown-spotted blenny
Bluntly pointed head; a long (= eye) slender cirrus on each nostril; small cirrus (<1/10 eye) above eye, none on nape; roof of mouth with teeth at front and sides; dorsal fin XXI, 9, a notch between spines and rays; anal II, 19, 1st anal spine of male free from rest of fin, 1.3 times length of 2nd spine, modified as sexual organ, tip extending well beyond fleshy tip of 1st anal spine; no ridge or fold along anal fin base; pectorals 13; pelvic rays 2; belly scaleless; lateral line scales 39; rear lateral line with tubes.
Head and front body reddish above, yellowish below, rear body tan; body with 2-3 longitudinal rows of large brown blotches formed of groups of spots, those blotches tending to form 7-8 irregular bars; head with a few dark spots on lower operculum; eye with radiating red lines; 2 red bars on top lip below and before eye; a dark spot between first and second dorsal spines; red and green spots along base of dorsal fin; pectoral base with 2 reddish spots; dorsal, anal and tail fins plain to with rows of small dark spots; tail fin base with 4 larger dark spots.
Size: attains 4 cm.
Habitat: occurs in shallow sand-weed areas close to shore.
Depth: 1-5 m.
Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) to Panama.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Submerged vegetation
- Rocks
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef only
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- No Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Live birth
- Global Endemism
-
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent only
- Continental TEP endemic
- Mexican + Panamic provinces endemic
- TEP endemic
- Continent
- All species
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 4
- Depth Range Min
-
- 1
- Depth Range Max
-
- 5
