Is My Mouth Big Enough to Make You Scared?

Sarcastic fringeheads (Neoclinus blanchardi) are not the nicest neighbors you'd have underwater. They are up to 30 cm long, live in shells or crevices where they fit in perfectly, and only keep their heads out to make sure there's no one uninvited coming over.

These amazing creeps are territorial and ferocious fish. They tend to get into fights with other fish, even octopi or other fringeheads... and that looks as if they were kissing or actually hugging with their mouths wide open - it's called the "gaping display". The one with the bigger mouth, and perhaps the more fluorescent buccopalatal membrane between the upper and lower jaw, wins the battle.

Thanks to their enormously long upper jaw bones they can make this horrific face as seen in the video below. Don't ever try to knock on the fringehead's door if you're not invited.

Common name:	Sarcastic fringehead
Scientific name:	Neoclinus blanchardi
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Blenniiformes
Family:	Chaenopsidae
IUCN status:	Least concern
Population trend:	Unknown
Scientific reading: