Species: Dactyloscopus insulatus, Insular whitesaddle stargazer

Dactyloscopus insulatus

Insular 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 near base of front nostril; both lips with skin flaps (usually unbranched), 11 (9-11) above, 15 (13-18) 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 (XI-XIII), 24 (23-26); anal II, 28 (27-30); pectoral usually 13 rays; notch under end of tail base; tail fin long (~16.5% SL), rays unbranched; lateral line continuous, bends down under last dorsal spine; scales smooth, head and belly scaleless; lateral line scales 42 (40-44); no scales above upper front part of lateral line, usually a single row above arch of that 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; often 2 dark stripes along straight rear part of lateral line and above anal fin.

Size: attains 5.6 cm.

Inhabits sand bottoms, including in tide pools.

Depth: 0.2-17 m.

The Revillagigedo islands.