Sarcastic Fringehead

The sarcastic fringehead is a small but hardy saltwater fish equipped with a large mouth and aggressive territorial behavior, giving it its peculiar name. This fascinating fish lives off the coast of California and Baja California in the northeast Pacific Ocean.

When two fringeheads have a territorial battle, they wrestle by driving their distended mouths against each other. This then allows them to determine which is the larger fish, which establishes dominance.

Sarcastic fringeheads are a species of tube blenny and tend to hide inside shells or crevices, though some have been found living in man-made objects such as bottles and soda cans. Not much is known about the feeding habits of the sarcastic fringehead, but scientists presume that the oversized mouths of the males may negatively affect their ability to feed. Most tube blennies feed on very small planktonic prey, but this species is unable to suction feed.