Warteye Stargazer

Common amongst Dactyloscopidae: Small, elongate fishes. Head usually broad and deep, body tapering and compressed behind. Eyes on top of head, often protrusible; mouth moderate to large, oblique to vertical; jaw teeth minute, in 2 or more series; no teeth on roof of mouth (vomer and palatines). Opercular opening large, gill membrane free from isthmus; opercles membranous, large, usually overlapping on underside of head, typically fringed above with 2 to 24 fleshy fimbriae. Dorsal fin continuous, with an isolated or semi-isolated anterior finlet, or with 1 to 5 separate anterior rays; dorsal-fin spines 7 to 23; anal-fin spines 2; dorsal and anal fins free or united to caudal fin by fragile membranes; pectoral fins broad-based, usually enlarged in mature males; caudal-fin rays simple or branched; pelvic fins under throat (insertion anterior to pectoral-fin base), with 1 spine and 3 thickened segmented rays; all other rays simple. Head and venter naked, body elsewhere with large cycloid scales (smooth to touch); lateral line high anteriorly, deflecting ventrally behind pectoral fin to continue along middle of side to caudal-fin base where terminal lateral-line scale bears ventrally directed canal. Body coloration, variably pale to strongly pigmented with white, brown, or reddish; some forms with characteristic saddle-like bars crossing back; others plain, mottled, or with indications of lateral stripes. Species distinguished by: dorsal-fin origin on nape; with an isolated or semi-isolated anterior finlet. First preopercular canal not branched, with a single distal pore. Segmented caudal-fin rays usually 10. Arched lateral-line scales 22 to 33. Upper lip without fimbriae (Ref.52855).

Dorsal spines (total): 1115; Dorsal soft rays (total): 1417; Analspines: 2

Occurs in sand around rocks and patch reefs (Ref. 5521). Burrows in soft sandy bottom, where it waits for prey, with only the eyes, nose and mouth protruding.

Biofluorescence of Gillellus uranidea (top view)

The warteye stargazer (Gillellus uranidea) is a species of sand stargazer native to the Atlantic coast of southwestern Florida, United States, and in the Caribbean Sea from the Bahamas and the coast of Central America to Panama where it can be found in sandy areas on reefs or among rocks. It is an ambush predator, burying itself nearly completely in the sand and waiting for prey items to come along. It can reach a maximum length of 5 cm (2.0 in) TL.

The warteye stargazer exhibits biofluorescence, that is, when illuminated by blue or ultraviolet light, it re-emits it in the yellow-red range, and appears differently than under white light illumination (see image to the right). Biofluorescence may assist in intraspecific communication and camouflage.