* The Sarcastic Fringehead * San Francisco Bay South *

(Neoclinus blanchardi)

The Sarcastic Fringehead

* * *
There are prettier pictures of this fish

just as there must be prettier pictures of

contrary straggly~haired teens

who question a parent's mere existance

not to mention rules and values!

There was a delightful sarcastic fringehead

living under my roof at one point.

Never doubt it for a minute,

these animals are clever and sharp!

* * * * * * * *

"Fringeheads are ambush predators, jumping out from their shelter to surprise prey." "They are aggressive and fearless, and will charge anything, including scuba divers that approach their lairs."

"No kidding, sarcastic fringehead is the name of a real fish, a skinny little tiger no more than nine inches long that likes to live in cracks in the rocks, holes in the hard bottom, empty shells, and even beer bottles...Sarcastic fringehead are distinctive fish, with huge jaws, tufts of tissue on their heads (hence their name), and metallic blue, yellow-fringed spots on their dorsal fins. They are found from San Francisco Bay south to Baja, Mexico, and eat fish and other small denizens of the sea floor."
quoted from:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/speciesid/fish_page/fish84a.html

For more academic information see the following website:
Aquarium of the Pacific-Animal Database: