Striped fang blenny

The striped fang blenny is a small marine blenny in the family Blenniidae, native to the western Pacific. It has a slender yellow body marked with bold black horizontal stripes that break into dashes toward the tail, and it possesses venomous fangs used to deter predators, making it largely immune to being eaten. Protected by its venom, it is confident and generally peaceful, though it can nip at tankmates; usually only one is kept unless the tank is large. A reef aquarium with live rock, crevices, and open swimming space suits this hardy fish, which often adopts a hole or tube as a refuge. It is an omnivore and micro-predator, feeding on plankton and small invertebrates, and readily accepts mysis, brine shrimp, and prepared foods. It is reef-safe and, thanks to its fang defense, mixes well even with larger fish.