Weigt's Blenny

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: presence of orbital cirrus; scaled belly; pale trunk (pale red in life), no distinct bars or other markings; when alive, lips peppered with white spots and lacrimal region with a row of small white spots; in preserved specimens, jaws usually with lightly scattered melanophores, without distinct banding or dark bars; scattered melanophores on entire gular region; total dorsal elements usually 27; total vertebrae usually 32; dorsal spines + anal soft rays + vertebrae modally 75 (Ref. 86414).

Dorsal spines (total): 19 - 20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 8; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 16 - 17; Vertebrae: 31 - 33

Starksia weigti

Starksia weigti, the Weigt's blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny known only from the Caribbean coastal waters of Belize at depths of from 6 to 8 metres (20 to 26 ft). It was previously known as Starksia lepicoelia, and is also closely related to Starksia williamsi and Starksia robertsoni. It is named after Lee A. Weigt, head of the Smithsonian's Laboratories of Analytical Biology. Males of this species can reach a length of 2.4 cm (0.94 in) SL While females reach 1.9 cm (0.75 in).>

SeeTable 2. Dorsal spines XIX–XX, usually XX (XX in holotype); segmented dorsal rays 7–8, usually 8 (7); total dorsal elements 27–28, usually 27 (27);anal spines II; segmented anal rays 16–17 (16); dorsal segmented caudal-fin rays (7); ventral segmented caudal-fin rays (6); dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays 5–6, rarely 6 (6); ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 4–5, rarely 4 (5); obvious segmented pelvic-fin rays 2; pectoral-fin rays 12–13, rarely12 (13); vertebrae 10+21–23= 31–33, usually 32 (10+22=32); infraorbital pores usually unpaired (one pair present at 3 o’clock); orbital cirri present; nape cirri present; anterior nostril cirri present; belly and pectoral-fin base completely scaled. Frequency distributions of counts among species of theStarksia lepicoeliacomplex1.Dorsal SpinesDorsal Soft RaysTotal DorsalAnal Soft RaysXIXXX7892627282915161718Starksia weigti511*5*11--10*6--6*10-Starksia lepicoelia218*118*1-316*1-1181*Starksia williamsi10*3310*--13*---11*2-Starksia robertsoni17*8* --17*--16*1-Pectoral RaysDorsal Procurrent Caudal RaysVentral Procurrent Caudal RaysVertebrae1112131456345631323334Starksia weigti-318*-122*-113*-112*3-Starksia lepicoelia--18*198--142-2151Starksia williamsi2110*-77*--131*112*--Starksia robertsoni--6*14*31*-422*6--Total Dorsal Elements + Anal Soft Rays + Vertebrae73747576777879Starksia weigti-15*233-Starksia lepicoelia---21112Starksia williamsi-110*2---Starksia robertsoni12*41--- * Indicates count of holotype 1Böhlke and Springer (1961)did not provide counts of procurrent caudal rays or vertebrae for the holotype ofStarksia lepicoelia Specimens examined ranging from 9.5 mm to 24.0 mm SL; HL 30–36% SL; length of male genital papilla two-thirds to equal length of first anal spine, papilla 1.0–1.8 mm and free from spine.

Known only from Belize, Central America.