The Sabre-toothed Blenny or Aspidontus taeniatus is the trickster of salt water fish. This species of Blenny will actually mimic the "dance" of the Cleanerfish or Cleaner Wrasse which is a fish that will clean parasites and scales of other fish from their underbellies. When the Sabre-tooth Blenny gets it unsuspecting victim to expose their underbelly it will will attack with its sharp teeth and then run away as if to just teach a lesson not to trust other fish. This odd trait gives them the nickname False Cleanerfish and Cleaner Mimic. You can check out the Sabre-tooth Blenny attacking a Yellow Tang in the video below.
As you can imagine this fish should only be kept in a solitary tank. It can be distinguished from the Cleanerfish from its shark like mouth. They are found in the Indo-Pacific Oceans and can grow to about 4" (100mm).
If you have any additional information about the Sabre-tooth Blenny please leave us a comment below.
Yes, this is a crazy fish. I compare how it takes advantage of other fish to how we influence others in this article: http://www.salarynegotiators.com/psychological-influence/
That is a really interesting fish. I saw the video and the blenny is one of the many fish that proves that fish are smarter than people believe. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a crazy fish. I compare how it takes advantage of other fish to how we influence others in this article: http://www.salarynegotiators.com/psychological-influence/
ReplyDelete