Starksia springeri Castillo & Baldwin

Baldwin, Carole C., Castillo, Cristina I., Weigt, Lee A. & Benjamin C., Victor, 2011, Seven new species within western Atlantic Starksia atlantica, S. lepicoelia, and S. sluiteri (Teleostei, Labrisomidae), with comments on congruence of DNA barcodes and species, ZooKeys 79, pp. 21-72 : 27-29

Starksia springeri Castillo & Baldwin sp. n. Figs 134Table 1

Type Locality:

Curacao, Netherland Antilles

Holotype.

USNM 398945, female, 19.0 mm SL, sta. CUR08-10, Blue Bay, Curacao, 12°07'59.22"N, 68°59'05.34"W, 1-25 m, 17 March 2008, C. Baldwin, D. Smith, L. Weigt (not a DNA voucher).

Paratypes (all Curacao).

USNM 399658, CUR 8148, male(?), 15.0mm SL, sta. CUR08-03, Cas Abou, 12°13'34.04"N, 69°05'29.95"W, 0-4 m, 12 March 2008, (posterior portion of body destroyed for DNA tissue sampling). USNM 399659, CUR 8318, (sex unknown), 12.0 mm SL, sta. CUR08-05, Blue Bay, 12°07'57.14"N, 68°59'06.03"W, 0-25 m, 14 March 2008, (posterior portion of body destroyed for DNA tissue sampling).

Diagnosis.

A species of Starksia distinguished by the following combination of characters: no orbital cirrus; trunk with irregular dark blotches on pale background; pectoral-fin base with relatively straight margins defining pale gap that separates two dark blotches; cheek with distinctive dark and pale markings: anterior portion of cheek with prominent dark blotch, anteroventral and posterior margins of blotch well defined by pale regions; posterior pale area on cheek bordered posteriorly by thin, dark, anteroventral-to-posterodorsal streak of pigment along distal edge of preopercle.

Description.

See Table 1. The female holotype is the only complete specimen available. Counts in parentheses are those for the holotype. Few counts could be made on partial specimens; when available, counts of partial specimens precede those of holotype. Dorsal spines (XVIII); segmented dorsal rays (8); total dorsal elements (26); anal spines (II); segmented anal rays (15); dorsal segmented caudal-fin rays (7); ventral segmented caudal-fin rays (6); dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays (5); ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays (5); segmented pelvic-fin rays 2 (2); pectoral-fin rays 14 (14); vertebrae (10+22= 32); infraorbital pores paired or unpaired, usually 1-3 pairs (3 pairs); if only one pair of pores, pair situated at 3 o’clock; 3 pairs in holotype located at 3, 5, and 6 o’clock; orbital cirri absent; nape cirri present; anterior nostril cirri present; belly and pectoral-fin base completely naked.

Specimens examined ranging from 12.0 to 19.0mm SL; HL 25-32% SL (32% in holotype); genital-papilla length in 15.0-mm SL paratype 0.3 mm, one-fourth length of first anal spine (broken); papilla adhered to spine proximally. Note: the presence of a small but measurable genital papilla on 15.0-mm SL paratype suggests that it is a male: although female Starksia sometimes have a small genital papilla, the 19 mm female holotype does not. As noted below, the 15 mm paratype has a pupil-size dark spot at posterior base of anal fin, which usually characterizes females. We tentatively recognize this paratype as a male.

Pigment.

(Note: a field photograph of the 12.0-mm SL paratype is a dorsal view of poor quality, and only the head remains as a preserved voucher. The following description is based on the 15.0-mm SL paratype and the 19.0-mm SL holotype.) Trunk with irregular dark blotches on pale background, most blotches consisting of orange chromatophores and melanophores in paratype; two dark spots present on trunk, large one at posterior end of dorsal fin (larger than pupil diameter) and smaller spot at posterior end of anal fin. Paratype with pale orange and brown pigment on head; tips of jaws with dark pigment in both paratype and holotype, but rest of jaws and gular region distinctly barred in holotype, mottled with tiny spots in paratype; cheek with distinctive dark and pale markings: anterior portion of cheek with prominent dark blotch, its anteroventral and posterior margins well defined by pale regions; posterior pale area on cheek bordered posteriorly by thin, dark, anteroventral-to-posterodorsal streak of pigment along distal edge of preopercle. Bright orange markings present on bases of dorsal fin and anal fins, sometimes occurring in pairs; bright orange pigment also present on distal portions of pectoral-fin rays; pale orange pigment present distally on at least some rays of soft dorsal, caudal, and anal fins; pectoral-fin base with relatively pale gap separating two dark blotches, margins of gap relatively straight; dark blotches on pectoral-fin base comprising orange chromatophores and melanophores.

Color in preservative.

(Note: pigmentation on trunk in preservative based on the only entire specimen, female holotype.) Trunk with irregular dark blotches on pale background; spots at posterior ends of dorsal and anal fins retained in preservative. Dark markings on head described above retained in preservative, mottled jaws and gular region of male(?) paratype strikingly different from barred markings on female holotype; top of head in both specimens covered with scattered melanophores; dark and pale regions on cheek and pectoral-fin base retained in preservative. Anal and pectoral fins with lightly scattered melanophores; caudal fin with light pigment on outer rays; pelvic fin clear.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Victor G. Springer, Senior Scientist Emeritus, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, for his contributions to the systematics of blennioid fishes, including Starksia , and for advice and friendship he has bestowed upon the first author.

Distribution.

Known only from Curacao, Netherland Antilles.