Species: Starksia spinipenis, Phallic blenny
body: clusters dots form irregular bars
LL 38-42
Starksia spinipenis (Al-Uthman, 1960)
Phallic blenny
Bluntly pointed head; a short, slender, unbranched cirrus on each nostril, above eye, and on each side of nape; roof of mouth with teeth at front and sides; dorsal fin XIX-XXI, 8-10, a notch between spines and rays; anal II, 16-19, 1st anal spine of male free from rest of fin, 1.7 times length of 2nd spine, modified as sexual organ, tip extending beyond fleshy tip of 1st anal spine; no ridge or fold along anal fin base; pectorals 14 (13-15); pelvic rays 2; belly scaleless; lateral line scales 38-42.
Head pinkish to yellowish; body whitish with 3 rows of clusters of square brown spots forming irregular bars; a narrow pale yellow stripe from snout through top of eye, another through lower eye; a dark spot immediately behind lower part of eye; operculum with dense dark dots; pectoral base with several dark dots; fins uncolored, base of dorsal fin with a row of dark spots.
Size: grows to 6.5 cm.
The most common member of the genus in the Gulf where is occurs in shallow sand-weed areas.
Depth: 1-20 m.
Gulf of California to southern Mexico.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Rocks
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continental TEP endemic
- Continent only
- Cortez + Mexican provinces endemic
- All species
- TEP endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 6.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 20
