Sangrey's Blenny

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: orbital cirrus absent; regular vertical brown bars on trunk separated by narrow white interspaces; well-defined horseshoe-shaped blotch of dark pigment on cheek (Ref. 86414).

Dorsal spines (total): 19 - 20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 8; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 14 - 16; Vertebrae: 31 - 32

Starksia sangreyae, the Sangrey's blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny native to the Caribbean coasts of Belize and probably also Honduras where it is found in shallow waters at depths of from 1 to 2 m (3.3 to 6.6 ft). It was originally known as Starksia atlantica, and is also closely related to Starksia springeri. The species is named after Mary Sangrey, a scientist from Smithsonian Institution. This species can reach a length of 1.6 cm (0.63 in) SL.

SeeTable 1. Dorsal spines XIX–XX, usually XIX (XIX in holotype); segmented dorsal rays 7–8 (8); total dorsal elements 26–27, usually 27 (27); anal spines II; segmented anal rays 14–16, usually 15 (15); dorsal segmented caudal-fin rays 7; ventral segmented caudal-fin rays 6; dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays 5–6, usually 6 (6); ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 4–6, usually 5 (5); segmented pelvic-fin rays 2; pectoral-fin rays 14–15, rarely 15 (14); vertebrae 10+21–22= 31–32, rarely 31(10+22=32); 1–4 pairs of infraorbital pores, usually 4 pairs between 3 and 6 o’clock (4 pairs); orbital cirri absent; nape cirri present; anterior nostril cirri present; belly and pectoral-fin base naked or with only a few rows of scales anterior to the anus. Frequency distributions of counts among species of theStarksia atlanticacomplex.Dorsal SpinesDorsal Soft RaysTotal DorsalAnal Soft RaysXVIIIXIXXX782627141516Starksia springeri1*---1*1*--1*-Starksia sangreyae-11*276*58*19*2Starksia atlantica117*-26*35*-44*Pectoral RaysDorsal Procurrent Caudal RaysVentral Procurrent Caudal RaysVertebrae13141556456313233Starksia springeri-3*-1*--1*--1*-Starksia sangreyae-20*137*18*1112*-Starksia atlantica118144-44251 * Indicates count of holotype1Longley (1934)did not provide counts of pectoral-fin rays or vertebrae for the holotype ofStarksia atlantica Specimens examined ranging from 12.0 to 19.0 mm SL; HL 29–34% SL (31% in holotype); male genital papilla adhered to first anal spine proximally; papilla length between two-thirds and three-quarters length of first anal spine, 0.6–1.0 mm; some females with very small genital papilla.

All material that we examined is from Belize. The range of the species also apparently includes Honduras, asGreenfield and Johnson (1981)noted that a specimen ofStarksia atlanticafrom Honduras has regular vertical bars of pigment on the body.