Bluestriped Fangblenny

Blogged by Simon on January 18, 2010 10:17am | Last updated by Simon on February 17, 2010 11:48pm | Category: Underwater Photography | Get a Print Get a Print |

Bluestriped Fangblenny (Plagiotremus Rhinorynchos)Meet one of natures great imitations – the Bluestriped Fangblenny (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos), which, when juvenile, looks very similar to, and exploits a niche in the ecosystem by mimicking the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus).

Cleaner wrasses are a symbiotic lifeform. They feed on larger fish, picking dead scales and parasites off their bodies. This will be recognized by the larger “customers” who often will come to visit a wrasse’s cleaning station and hover there for a full dental & makeover, waiting patiently until the small wrasse has picked on them. In return for this service, the cleaner wrasse is spared and not eaten by the usually much larger clients – everybody goes home satisfied.

This is where the Fangblenny comes in. Fangblennys live and hide in dead tube worms like the one in this photo. They are able to approach larger fish being mistaken for cleaner wrasses and use this for attack, biting small chunks out of their customers. I have witnessed a (furious) Parrotfish chasing a small cleaner around in circles, presumably after this happened.

The Fangblenny here is just taking a peak out of his tube worm, probably surveying for food. I settled just in front of it with the 60mm macro lens on, where it allowed me to take this photo. I am unsure if it was evaluating me as a possible food source :)

Camera settings: ISO 200, f/16, for 1/60s. Post processed for color temperature, and vignetting in Aperture.

Tags: , , , , ,

Comment using Facebook

Not on Facebook?

Sign in using Google | Twitter | Yahoo

or:

Fill in all fields below and press submit