Striped Blenny
Three Stripes - saber-toothed blenny ( Meiacanthus gram manure )
The Three Stripe saber-toothed blenny ( Meiacanthus gram manure ) is in the western tropical Pacific from the coast of Vietnam to New Guinea to the north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to the Great Barrier Reef off. He lives there both in protected lagoons as well as in outer reefs and is relatively common. On the coasts of southern Japan it is replaced by Meiacanthus kamoharai.
Features
The fish is a maximum of eleven inches long. It is of yellow-white color, more yellow front, rear rather white. Along its flanks draw three long black longitudinal bands, another is formed by a series of dots in the long, continuous dorsal fin. This is supported by four hard jets and 25 to 28 soft rays in the anal fin there are two hard jets and 14 to 16 soft rays. The resolution of the black horizontal stripes on the tail fins stick into a dot pattern distinguishes the Three Stripes - saber-toothed blenny of very similar species, such as Meiacanthus lineatus.
Toxicity
Like all the saber-toothed blennies has the three stripes saber-toothed blenny strongly elongated canine teeth in the lower jaw which are provided at him, as with all Meiacanthus species on the base with poison glands. At pressure through a bit down the toxin is injected through a groove on the tooth in front of the wound. The venom is used for defense. The conspicuous warning coloration is equal to discourage predators from attacking. Predatory fish spit Meiacanthus species again immediately after being bitten on the foot of them. In humans, the bite triggers a pain like a wasp sting, and sweating, and dizziness. The two fangs are replaced if lost by underlying Reserve teeth. The Three Stripe saber-toothed blenny is imitated in form and coloring of the non-toxic Säbelzahnschleimfischart Petroscirtes breviceps and the cardinalfish Cheilodipterus zonatus ( Bates'sche mimicry ).
Way of life
The Three Stripe saber-toothed blenny is in contrast to the algae -eating and constantly hinsetzenden on various lookout comb tooth blennies, "free float ", which forms in coral reef near schools and feeds on zooplankton.
Reproduction
During mating, the males all fins and the gill cover is widely splayed across the front of the female. However, his yellow-colored skin shining intensely. After several posturing of the male, the female follows him in the breeding cave and lays about 300 eggs, which have a diameter of less than a millimeter there. Then the eggs are fertilized by the male. The male spawns in the next five to seven days or from three to four or more the first bitch. The larvae hatch in about five days, some time after sunset. They are then about 3.5 mm long, have no yolk sac and must eat immediately.