DNA barcoding has helped identify seven new species of Starksia blennies from the Caribbean.
The descriptions of the new species by Carole Baldwin and coauthors are published in a recent issue of the journal ZooKeys.
The seven species are named S. greenfieldi, S. langi, S. robertsoni, S. sangreyae, S. springeri, S. weigti and S. williamsi.
Blennies in the genus Starksia are native to the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, and the identification of the seven new species came about when the research team were attempting to match larval stages of coral reef fish to adults through DNA.
Noting contradictions between the preliminary genetic data and the current classification, the authors carried out further studies that revealed the existence of these new blennies.
Starksia greenfieldi
This species from Trinidad and Tobago is distinguished from congeners in having an orbital cirrus, a scaleless belly, two to three rows of dark blotches on the sides of the body, white (or pale) round spots on parts or all of the cheek and throat region, a dark blotch on the front part of the spinous dorsal fin in males, and the first anal-fin spine being one-half to three-quarters the length of the male genital papilla.
It belongs to the S. sluiteri species complex and is named after ichthyologist David Greenfield.
Starksia langi
This species from Belize is distinguished from congeners in having an orbital cirrus, a scaleless belly, two rows of very prominent dark blotches on the sides of the body, males with dark crescent-shaped marking on the cheek and without a dark blotch on the front part of the spinous dorsal fin, females with scattered dark spots on the lower half of the head and on the pectoral-fin base and the first anal-fin spine being two-thirds to three-quarters the length of the male genital papilla.
It belongs to the S. sluiteri species complex and is named after Michael Lang, Director of the Smithsonian Marine Science Network and Smithsonian Science Diving Program.
Starksia robertsoni
This species from the Atlantic coast of Panama is distinguished from congeners in having the following combination of characters: presence of an orbital cirrus, scaled belly, pale to dark tan body (dark orange/tan to bright orange in life) that lacks distinct bars or other markings, absence of conspicuous white spotting distinct banding, or dark bars on lips, lower surface of lower jaw of males with one to three dark blotches or bars, usually 27 total dorsal-fin rays and spines, and usually 32 total vertebrae.
It belongs to the S. lepicoela species complex and is named after D. Ross Robertson of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Starksia sangreyae
This species from Belize is distinguished from congeners in lacking an orbital cirrus, and a colour pattern of regular vertical brown bars separated by narrow white interspaces on the body and a well defined horseshoe-shaped blotch of dark pigment on the cheek.
It belongs to the S. atlantica species complex and is named after Mary Sangrey, an administrator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Starksia springeri
This species from Curacao in the Netherland Antilles is distinguished from congeners in lacking an orbital cirrus, and a colour pattern consisting of the following features: body with irregular dark blotches on a pale background, a pectoral-fin base with relatively straight margins defining a pale gap that separates two dark blotches, anterior portion of the cheek with a prominent dark blotch with its anteroventral and posterior margins well defined by pale regions, and posterior pale area on the cheek bordered posteriorly by a thin, dark streak of pigment.
It belongs to the S. atlantica species complex and is named after ichthyologist Victor Springer.
Starksia weigti
This species from Belize is distinguished from congeners in having the following combination of characters: presence of an orbital cirrus, scaled belly, pale body (pale red in life) without distinct bars or other markings, lips peppered with white spots in life, area in front of eye with a single row of small white spots in life, lightly scattered melanophores usually present on jaws that lack distinct banding or dark bars, throat region usually covered with scattered melanophores, usually 27 total dorsal-fin rays and spines, and usually 32 total vertebrae.
It belongs to the S. lepicoela species complex and is named after Lee Weigt, Head of the Smithsonian’s Laboratories of Analytical Biology.
Starksia williamsi
This species from Saba Bank in the Netherlands Antilles is distinguished from congeners in having the following combination of characters: presence of an orbital cirrus, scaled belly, pale to tan body (dark orange/tan to bright orange in life) that lacks distinct bars or other markings, absence of conspicuous white spotting distinct banding, or dark bars on lips, usually 27 total dorsal-fin rays and spines, and usually 32 total vertebrae.
It belongs to the S. lepicoela species complex and is named after ichthyologist Jeffrey Williams.
For more information, see the paper: Baldwin CC, CI Castillo, LA Weigt and BC 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.