Blenny

This species of Starksia is distinguished by the following set of characters: orbital cirrus present; two to three rows of dark blotches on side of body, blotches in middle row (or ventral row if only two rows) mostly circular, never vertically elongate or oval; white (or pale), mostly round spots (absence of melanophores against a darker background) on at least portions of cheek, opercle, and gular region, this spotting pattern more prominent in males; males with dark blotch of pigment on anterior portion of spinous dorsal fin; first anal-fin spine one-half to three-quarters length of male genital papilla; belly naked (Ref. 86414).

Dorsal spines (total): 18 - 20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 9; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 15 - 16; Vertebrae: 32

Starksia greenfieldi, the Greenfield's blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny endemic to the waters around the island of Tobago where it is found at depths of from 5 to 12 metres (16 to 39 ft). It is named after David W. Greenfield, known for his work on blenniiform fishes. This species can reach a length of 1.9 centimetres (0.75 in) SL.

SeeTable 3. Dorsal spines XVIII–XX (XIX); segmented dorsal rays 7–9, modally 8 (7); total dorsal elements 26–28, modally 27 (26); anal spines (II); segmentedanal rays 15–16, modally 16 (15); dorsal segmented caudal-fin rays 7; ventral segmented caudal-fin rays 6; dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays 5–6 (5); ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 5–6, rarely 6 (5); segmented pelvic-fin rays 2; pectoral-fin rays 13–14, rarely 14 (13); vertebrae 10+21–23=31–33, usually 10+22=32 (10+22=32); infraorbital pore arrangement variable—unpaired (condition in holotype), one pair at 3 o’clock, two pairs (3 and 6 o’clock), and one specimen with three pairs (3, 4, and 5 o’clock); orbital, nape, and anterior-nostril cirri present and; belly and pectoral-fin base completely naked. Frequency distributions of counts among species of theStarksia sluitericomplex1.Dorsal SpinesDorsal Soft RaysTotal DorsalAnal Soft RaysXVIIIXIXXX789262728151617Starksia greenfieldi714*15*1256*1516*16-Starksia langi-10*16*4-5*5-7*1-Starksia sluiteri-51*2*3114*1211*Pectoral RaysDorsal Procurrent Caudal RaysVentral Procurrent Caudal RaysVertebrae1213145656313233Starksia greenfieldi-24*18*1016*1111*2Starksia langi-12*-3*46*-4*3-Starksia sluiteri14-1-1--2- * Indicates count of holotype 1Metzelaar (1919)did not provide counts of pectoral-fin rays or vertebrae for the holotype ofStarksia sluiteri Specimens examined ranging from 11.0–23.0 mm SL; HL 30–36% SL (36%); length of male genital papilla 19–26% SL in specimens 19.0 mm SL and larger (26%), 12–14% in specimens 15.0–17.0 mm SL; papilla adhered to first anal-fin spine and extending well beyond it, spine one-half length of papilla in most males, greater than three-quarters in smallest males.

Known only from Tobago