Author: (Linnaeus, 1758)
Scartella cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Scartella cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis. dorsal finrays XII + 14-15; anal finrays II + 16; pectoral finrays 14; pelvic finrays I + 3. Highly developed lateral line system. Many tentacles on nape. Colour: basic coloration grey-brownish; 6-7 dark bars on body; belly sometimes reddish. Size: up to 10 cm.
Habitat: in surf zone of rocky littoral area. Behaviour: hides in holes or troughs of rocks or between algae. Food: Algae and some invertebrates. Reproduction: no data.
Distribution: southern and eastern Mediterranean. Also in Catalonia (Spain), Baleares and Ligurian coast. From Biscay southward to Congo. Also off the Canaries, Bermuda, Florida, Cuba and Brazil
Note. Scartella emarginata (Gunther, 1861), S. nuchifilis (Valenciennes,1836), S. springeri (Bauchot, 1966) and S. tonganus (Jordan and Seale,1906), may be subspecies of S. cristata, which would make the distribution worldwide.