Short Head Sabretooth Blenny

Dark, broad stripe from snout through eye to caudal fin; stripe may be broken into segments (Ref. 4404). Highly variable in color and mimics Meiacanthus species (Ref. 48636).

Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 21; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 17 - 21

Inhabits sandy areas with clumps of Sargassum and other algae (Ref. 1602).

Adults inhabit coastal reefs and estuaries to depths of about 10 m (Ref. 48636). May also be found up to 15 m depth in coastal and lagoon reefs in sandy and weedy areas among clumps of Sargassum or other seaweeds. They also take shelter and nests inside small-necked bottles and abandoned worm tubes or shells (Ref. 90102). They feed on small crustaceans, diatoms, and perhaps other plant material associated with such clumps. They use their fangs defensively and will not hesitate to bite if handled, thus, species of this genus are avoided by predators (Ref. 205). Oviparous. Males uses shells but also ring-top cans for nesting (Ref. 48636). Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114). Mimic of Meiacanthus grammistes, which like all species of that genus possesses a pair of large grooved fangs in the lower jaw with associated venom glands. These bites are used defensively and Papuan variety is also a possible mimic of Meiacanthus vittatus (Ref. 90102).

aquarium: commercial

分布於印度-西太平洋區，由非洲東岸至巴布新幾內亞，北至琉球群島，南至新加勒多尼亞等。台灣分布於南部、東北部、北部、小琉球及澎湖等海域。

小型魚類，僅具學術研究價值，或水族觀賞用。

體長形；鰓孔完全在胸鰭基上方。下頜鬚單一不分叉；眼上鬚小；眼眶後鬚，或有，或無；沒有頸鬚；具後顳鬚；後鼻孔無鼻瓣。上顳骨感覺孔3。齒骨具犬齒。D. X-XI, 17-20； A. II, 19-20； P. 14； V. I, 3。背鰭無缺刻，背鰭第I棘較第II與第IV棘短。體色多變，一般為灰黃至灰褐色；頭與身體具小褐斑，體側另有5-7條不明顯的淡褐橫帶，體側中央上方自眼至尾鰭有一寬黑褐色帶，下頜至臀鰭有一不明顯的淡褐紋；背鰭基部有一黑帶，鰭緣有網紋，尤其第IV-V棘；臀鰭淡褐色；胸鰭第4-5軟條基部有一褐斑；尾、腹和胸鰭灰白色。

主要棲息於沿岸珊瑚礁石區或河口區，深度約可達10公尺，亦常被發現於沙地裡的馬尾藻叢或其它海藻中，以這些藻類、碎屑和小型無脊椎動物為食。本種魚具防備用的犬齒，雖不會主動攻擊，一旦被觸摸則會被咬上一口，而這些行為如同其多變的體色一樣，都是一種模倣稀棘鳚屬(/Meiacanthus/)的擬態行為，是海濱的危險生物。雄魚會使用貝殼來築巢，甚至是圓口的空罐也常被使用。

Petroscirtes breviceps, the striped poison-fang blenny mimic, striped fangblenny mimic, short-head sabretooth blenny, short-headed blenny, sabretooth blenny, or the black-banded blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Pacific and Indian ocean. This species reaches a length of 11 centimetres (4.3 in) SL.