TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Chaenopsidae

Genus/species: Neoclinus blanchardi

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Generally brownish-gray and typically mottled with either red or green patches with extremely large mouths. The dorsal spines possess two ocelli, one between the first and second spines, and the other between the fifth and ninth spines which are generally blue and outlined by a yellow ring. Largest of all fringeheads can growing up to 30.0 cm (11.8 inches) in length.

SarcasticFringhead

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Pacific Coast from San Francisco, California to central Baja California, Mexico.   Demersal, ( live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes) marine environment. They occupy empty shells, abandoned holes and crevices In some areas they even take up residence in old cans and bottles. In fact, in the beer bottle field of Santa Monica Bay, nearly every bottle is a home to a fringehead. 

DIET IN THE WILD: omnivores. 

 Sarcastic FringheadLong

REPRODUCTION:he The female lays her eggs routinely in an abandoned burrow and the male to guards the nest.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List; No special status.

REMARKS: N. blanchardi are fiercely territorial at rest in their homes with only their heads protruding. However, upon the first sign of danger, they will employ their enormous mouths and needle like teeth for defense. Initially, they emit only a warning accomplished by the flexing and snapping of their jaws.

LOCATION: Sand dollar exhibit

Referencs

Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Neoclinus_blanchardi/

Eschmeyer, W., O. Herald, H. Hammann, J. Gnagy. 1983. A Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Neoclinus-blanchardi.html

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/16123153465/in/set-72157608359804936/

WordPress shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1qx