WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Lined Fangblenny

Meiacanthus lineatus

Also known as: Coral Blenny, Fang Blenny, Sabretooth Blenny, Sabre-toothed Blenny, Striped Blenny, Striped Lineatus Blenny, Yellow-lined Harptail, Yellow-lined Harptail Blenny

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2014
VenomousKeep your distance
Adult
@fishx6 · Lady Musgrave Island, Australia · February 20121 / 2
01

Overview

Found singly or in pairs, over sheltered, lagoons and seaward reefs. Mimicked by both the Yellow Sabretooth Blenny - Petroscirtes fallax and the Bridled Monocle Bream - Scolopsis bilineata.
Western Pacific - Great Barrier Reef

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 · Western Pacific
  • Exact location · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly or in pairs, over sheltered, lagoons and seaward reefs.

04

Adult photos 2

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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. genusMeiacanthus
    7. speciesMeiacanthus lineatus (De Vis, 1884)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae)