Phil Heemstra +NRF-SAIAB, Süd-Afrika
Info
We like to thank Elaine Heemstra very much for her permission to use the unique photo of Meiacanthus fraseri and Dennis Polack from Fishwise Professional for his friendly arrangement!
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists Meiacanthus fraseri as a "non-threatened species", yet there appears to be only one photograph of this saber-tooth blenny.
We sincerely thank Elaine Heemstra for permission to use the unique photo of Meiacanthus fraseri and Dennis Polack of Fishwise Professional for his kind sharing!
Meiacanthus species are distinguished by their grooved canines and associated glands.
They are unique among fishes in that they have highly specialized venomous cheek glands.
The species have a well-developed swim bladder and are less susceptible to predation, which allows them to feed in the water column and forage over a wide area
Meiacanthus fraseri is found in shallow reef habitats
The saber-tooth blenny Meiacanthus fraseri was named in honor of Thomas H. Fraser, who collected the first specimen and, suspecting it might be undescribed, informed Dr. Smith-Vaniz, University of Florida, of its existence
The occurrence area St. Brandon Shoals (Cargados-Carajos Islands) is a group of islands in the Western Indian Ocean, north of Mauritius, and are part of the archipelago of the Mascarenes.
Jumping guard
A jumping guard prevents (nocturnal) fish from jumping out.
Wrasses, blennies, hawkfishs and gobies jump out of an unprotected tank in fright if their night rest is disturbed, unfortunately these jumpers are found dried up in the morning on carpets, glass edges or later behind the tank.
https://www.korallenriff.de/en/article/1925_5_Jump_Protection_Solutions_for_Fish_in_the_Aquarium__5_Net_Covers.html
A small night light also helps, as it provides the fish with a means of orientation in the dark!
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists Meiacanthus fraseri as a "non-threatened species", yet there appears to be only one photograph of this saber-tooth blenny.
We sincerely thank Elaine Heemstra for permission to use the unique photo of Meiacanthus fraseri and Dennis Polack of Fishwise Professional for his kind sharing!
Meiacanthus species are distinguished by their grooved canines and associated glands.
They are unique among fishes in that they have highly specialized venomous cheek glands.
The species have a well-developed swim bladder and are less susceptible to predation, which allows them to feed in the water column and forage over a wide area
Meiacanthus fraseri is found in shallow reef habitats
The saber-tooth blenny Meiacanthus fraseri was named in honor of Thomas H. Fraser, who collected the first specimen and, suspecting it might be undescribed, informed Dr. Smith-Vaniz, University of Florida, of its existence
The occurrence area St. Brandon Shoals (Cargados-Carajos Islands) is a group of islands in the Western Indian Ocean, north of Mauritius, and are part of the archipelago of the Mascarenes.
Jumping guard
A jumping guard prevents (nocturnal) fish from jumping out.
Wrasses, blennies, hawkfishs and gobies jump out of an unprotected tank in fright if their night rest is disturbed, unfortunately these jumpers are found dried up in the morning on carpets, glass edges or later behind the tank.
https://www.korallenriff.de/en/article/1925_5_Jump_Protection_Solutions_for_Fish_in_the_Aquarium__5_Net_Covers.html
A small night light also helps, as it provides the fish with a means of orientation in the dark!
