Sabertooth Blenny

Family: Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)

Size: Up to 10 cm (4 in) | Common: 7 cm

Depth: 3 – 25m (10 – 80ft)

Distribution: Eastern Pacific (Gulf of California to Peru & Galapagos).

Identification:
A deceptive fish that relies on mimicry and hiding.

• In the Tube (Pictured): When resting, they reverse into empty worm tubes or barnacle shells. You will only see the head, which is brownish with a distinct yellow or pale stripe running horizontally just above the eye.
• Swimming: When swimming, they look incredibly similar to the juvenile Cortez Rainbow Wrasse. They have a slender body with a broad dark stripe and a yellow stripe on top.

Behavior:
The "wolf in sheep's clothing."

• Aggressive Mimicry: They copy the swimming pattern of beneficial cleaner wrasses to gain the trust of larger fish. Once close, they don't clean—they attack!
• Diet: They are "scale-eaters." They use their large, curved canine teeth (fangs) to take quick bites of fin or skin from unsuspecting fish before darting back to safety.