Starksia spinipenis, the phallic blenny, is a species of labrisomid blenny native to the Pacific coast of Mexico from the Gulf of California to Acapulco. It prefers shallow sandy areas with weed growth. This species can reach a length of 5 centimetres (2.0 in) TL.[2] The specific name is a compound noun if spinis meaning "spine" and penis, a reference to the first spine in the anal fin of the males which is elongated and free of the fin membrane and is modified as a copulatory organ, a characteristic of the genus Starksia.[3]

Starksia spinipenis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Blenniiformes
Family: Labrisomidae
Genus: Starksia
Species:
S. spinipenis
Binomial name
Starksia spinipenis
(Al-Uthman, 1960)
Synonyms
  • Brannerella spinipenis Al-Uthman, 1960

References

edit
  1. ^ Hastings, P. (2010). "Starksia spinipenis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T183730A8166265. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183730A8166265.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Starksia spinipenis". FishBase. October 2013 version.
  3. ^ Christopher Scharpf; Kenneth J. Lazara (10 November 2018). "Order BLENNIIFORMES: Families CLINIDAE, LABRISOMIDAE and CHAENOPSIDAE". ETYFish Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 4 May 2019.