WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Highfin Blenny

Petroscirtes mitratus

Also known as: Coral Blenny, Crested Sabretooth, Crested Sabretooth Blenny, Fang Blenny, Floral Blenny, Floral Fangblenny, Helmeted Blenny, Highfin Fangblenny, Highfin Sabretooth Blenny, High-finned Blenny, Miter Blenny, Sabretooth Blenny, Sabre-toothed Blenny

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2026
Adult
@fab4am · Home, New Caledonia · March 20171 / 6
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Overview

Found singly, or in small schools, in coastal waters, over shallow protected estuaries, lagoons, and reef flats, rich in algae and seagrass. When nesting they use empty mollusc shells.
Juveniles found in floating Sargassum weeds.

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.
Some Sabretooth Blennies are venomous.

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How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
skin tags

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 6
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in small schools, in coastal waters, over shallow protected estuaries, lagoons, and reef flats, rich in algae and seagrass.

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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. genusPetroscirtes
    7. speciesPetroscirtes mitratus Rüppell, 1830

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)