WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

False Cleanerfish

Aspidontus taeniatus

Also known as: Cleaner Mimic, False Cleaner, False Cleaner Blenny, Fang Blenny, Imposter Fangblenny, Mimic Blenny, Sabretooth Blenny, Sabre-toothed Blenny, Striped Blenny

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2026
Adult
@fishx6 · Sopu Beach, Tonga · October 20111 / 6
01

Overview

Found singly, pairs, or in small schools, often to be found in small holes and empty worm tubes, over lagoons, reef flats, and outer reef slopes.
They copy the look and swimming style of cleaner wrasses to get close to larger fish, but instead of cleaning they bite pieces of fin and tissue. They will also nip divers.
Large adults only do this as a hobby, other times they feed on benthic invertebrates and zooplankton.
Widespread East Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean

Combtooth Blennies are the largest family of blennies, found in both tropical and subtropical waters and freshwater habitats, as the name suggests they have comb like teeth lining their jaws, well suited for scraping food off hard surfaces!
Sabretooth Blennies have teeth to match their name!
They can be seen darting forward to sever flesh from fishes fins. (can sometimes be seen taking a swipe at divers as well) They will then dart back into their holes out of harm's way.
Some blennies will mimic cleaner wrasses to get close enough for a nip at fish.
A few Sabretooth Blennies are venomous.

02

How to identify

Pattern
stripes

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Eastern Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean
  • Country only · 6
LIVES IN

Found singly, pairs, or in small schools, often to be found in small holes and empty worm tubes, over lagoons, reef flats, and outer reef slopes.

04

Adult photos 6

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderBlenniiformes
    5. familyBlenniidae
    6. genusAspidontus
    7. speciesAspidontus taeniatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1834

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)