Sarcastic Fringehead

Nature 4 Minutes

On the seafloor of the Northwest Pacific Ocean lives a very angry fish with a bizarre name and a parachute on its face, which it uses as a weapon. Named for its huge mouth and aggressive temperament, the sarcastic fringehead is a fascinating small saltwater fish, which exists in perpetual intense competition with others of its own kind.

They are found in the Pacific waters from San Francisco to central Baja California in the USA between 10 – 250 feet in depth. The sarcastic fringehead is a species of blenny, belonging to the order Blenniformes; a diverse group of species which can be found throughout the world in marine, brackish and freshwater habitats.

The family Chaenopsidae, of which the sarcastic fringehead is the largest member, is a group of scaleless, elongated blennies that strangely lack the lateral line found in the majority of other fish species. There are over 900 species of blenny, most of which are relatively small, benthic dwellers.

Blenniformids tend to be reclusive, either burrowing into soft sediments or occupying cracks, crevices and burrows. The sarcastic fringehead spend much of their time in their ocean floor dens, but when they do swim it’s in short, dart-like movements – to diet on small crustaceans, or fiercely defend its territory.

Interesting Sarcastic Fringehead Facts

‘Fringehead’ refers to the floppy tissue above the fish’s eyes

While ‘sarcastic’ is thought to derive from the Greek word sarkázein, which means ‘to tear flesh’ – referring to their aggressive behavior.

Sarcastic fringeheads are territorial homeowners

Many species within Chaenopsidae live permanently in holes or cavities, and sarcastic fringeheads are no exception. They stake a claim over a territory centered around an abandoned clam burrow, large empty snail shell or other suitable crack or crevice.

They’ll even live in man-made homes

As long as their home has the right dimensions, sarcastic fringeheads are not fussy over what it’s made from. They are often spotted living inside cans, bottles and other human rubbish that has made its way into the ocean.

They are fiercely protective of their homes

To a sarcastic fringehead, a high-quality home is a secure space of just the right size, positioned in an area with a dependable food source. These are few and far between, so fringeheads aggressively defend their territories against conspecifics, other ocean creatures and even human divers!

The best homes are worth competing for

Female sarcastic fringeheads choose males with the most desirable homes as their mates. This makes competition between males particularly intense, and is thought to be a large factor in the evolution of their extraordinary mouths.

They have an infamous ‘Demogorgon’ from Stranger Things mouth

When threatened by other Sarcastic fringehead, they are able to open their mouths to horrifying circumferences – larger than their own head, displaying two rows of sharp teeth. This is in an effort to say ‘I am bigger than you’ and scare away the competition.

Sarcastic fringeheads fight each other with a ‘kiss’

Riled individuals face-off by slamming their huge, open mouths together in a strange ‘who has the biggest mouth competition’. When sarcastic fringeheads perform their famous gape display, they emphasize their physical size, reveal their double row of teeth, and also flaunt muscles belonging to the adductor mandibular complex. These muscles are responsible for closing the mouth and their size gives an accurate measure of their bite force.

Evolving their weaponry has had its drawbacks

Their disproportionate jaw morphology of the sarcastic fringehead is thought to actually hamper its ability to feed compared to the smaller-mouthed species with which it shares its genus. This reflects the extreme selective pressure faced by males; when it comes to reproduction, being able to see off rivals is more advantageous to sarcastic fringeheads than being able to feed efficiently.

There’s more to their displays than meets the eye

The skin stretched around the elongated jawbones of the sarcastic fringehead is known as the buccopalatal membrane, and has been observed to reflect ultraviolet light. The yellow outer edges of their mouths are also fluorescent, and it is thought that the brightness of these pigments relates to the fitness of an individual.

When displays don’t work, sarcastic fringeheads resort to wrestling

If two males find each other to be physically well matched, the only way to resolve their disputes is by entering into single combat. Flaring their mouths as wide as they can, the two fish swim directly against each other, each trying to push the other backwards and thereby prove their superior strength.

Their aggressive nature has a purpose

The famous bad temper of the sarcastic fringeheads isn’t just because they’re feeling grumpy. Through their elaborate displays, individuals are able to accurately size each other up and avoid entering mismatched physical confrontations that could lead to injury.

Sarcastic fringeheads are caring fathers

Once a female has found a male with a desirable territory, she lays her eggs inside the male’s home and then leaves. The male then guards the eggs on his own until they hatch.

Their bizarre adaptations have evolved twice

Compared to their close taxonomic relatives, sarcastic fringeheads are larger, have particularly high levels of aggression, and are equipped with some freaky jaw morphology. Some truly unique adaptations? Nope! The long-jawed muscucker (Gillichthys mirabilis) has evolved a spookily similar set of features through convergent evolution; it is thought that their comparable burrow-dwelling lifestyles, extreme competition between males and a hefty dose of pure chance have driven these remarkable resemblances.

SOURCE: FACTANIMAL

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Published by pat frederick

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78 thoughts on “Sarcastic Fringehead”

    1. Morning, Pat! I just didn’t want to get up this morning…..above freezing here this morning at 36. Wheezer was on his chair and came over when I brought his food dish out. Hope he gets to feeling better soon.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Wow – the gorgeous colors and details of this sarcastic fringehead fish – it’s another example of GOD’s fantastic unlimited imagination!

    Teaches us that our homes and homelands are worth defending!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Nevada has impossible voter registration totals.
    FTA
    The committee performed the analysis by comparing the secretary of state’s most up-to-date registered active voter numbers with data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 citizen voting age population data, the letter says.

    Its analysis found Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties had greater than 100 percent voter registration, or more registered voters than eligible voters, and that Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Eureka and Washoe counties had rates of 90 percent or higher.

    To compare, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Nevada’s statewide registrations rates were 65.1 percent in the 2022 election and 66.2 percent in the 2020 election.

    “These voter registration rates are abnormally or, in the case of counties with greater than 100 percent registration, impossibly high,” the letter says. “This constitutes strong evidence that Nevada’s voter rolls are not being properly maintained.”

    The Review-Journal compared the secretary of state’s most recent voter registration numbers with estimated 2023 populations for Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties based on projected growth from 2021, according to World Population Review. It found the voter registration rates were 98 percent for Douglas County, 99.4 percent for Lyon, and 89.8 percent for Storey.

    https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reviewjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics-and-government%2Fnevada%2Frnc-alleges-inconsistencies-in-nevadas-voter-rolls-threatens-lawsuit-2959163%2F

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Just look at the corrupt Governor, good ole Joe Lombardo from the Bundy saga! He was also involved with the Las Vegas shooting.

      Liked by 2 people

  13. so you want to give illegal military aged men who have no allegiance to this country access to military installations and weapons??????

    Liked by 2 people

  14. this is from tcth
    seems like she is advocating for illegals to VOTE.

    Charlie Alnutt
    December 5, 2023 8:26 am

    Welcome to Las Vegas……

    ‘Here to help’: New center focuses on citizenship for Latinos

    “When Mexican residents living in Las Vegas visit the Consulate of Mexico on Sixth Street, they normally go to obtain a passport, birth certificate or other important documents.
    Now they can visit to learn how to become a U.S. citizen and participate in democracy.”

    “As the Latino population grows in Las Vegas, it’s important that Latinos’ civic engagement and participation grow with it, said Las Vegas City Councilwoman Olivia Díaz, because “we need those leaders to know what is important to us and for them to act on issues that impact our community.”
    “We need to start training our community to take the power that we possess and start showing up at the ballots, and ’24 is going to be an important year,” Díaz said.”

    The left is always pushing forward while the conservatives are still sitting around posting “But what about those vaccines?”
    or “My grandmother was in the prime of her life at 98 and…….the vaccine, blah, blah”

    Priorities!!

    We can’t do anything about what happened with vaccines until we take back the gov’t.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. counterfeit tests, imports from china, stealing taxpayers monies
    entire article
    The Biden administration gave $86 million to a company accused of peddling counterfeit COVID test kits manufactured in China, according to records obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the funding to CorDx, a COVID test kit manufacturer, in September. The deal will finance free testing products to American households and is intended to “bolster U.S. manufacturing.”

    But records obtained by the Free Beacon raise questions about CorDx’s testing kits and its domestic manufacturing capabilities. One of the company’s competitors claimed CorDx sold knockoff kits stamped with a false brand name, in violation of Food and Drug Administration regulations, and that CorDx’s was producing the tests in China.

    The news comes as the Biden administration has faced scrutiny over fraud in COVID spending and as it works to comply with regulations to spend the funding domestically rather than in China.

    Genabio Diagnostics, a COVID testing manufacturer, in a complaint to the FDA in February accused CorDx of selling a “counterfeit version” of Genabio’s antibody tests—which had received emergency authorization from the FDA.

    “To protect the public from these counterfeit tests and deter other unscrupulous actors from engaging in similar unlawful behavior, we request that FDA take swift action against CorDx to stop its violative behavior,” wrote an attorney for Genabio.

    Genabio said it was tipped off by a former customer that CorDx was selling its tests without authorization and at a lower price point. An investigation by Genabio’s law firm, Cooley LLP, allegedly found that CorDx was selling fake versions of the tests, stamped with Genabio’s brand name, according to the FDA letter.

    The products sold by CorDx had different text on the boxes, lacked QR codes, and included different swabs, among other discrepancies, according to Genabio. The company included photographs of the contrasting testing kits along with its FDA complaint.

    The FDA said it is “not able to discuss possible or ongoing investigations.”

    Genabio in a September letter to the Government Accountability Office rehashed its concerns about the counterfeit tests, protesting the HHS grant decision.

    The complaint claimed CorDx has a “history of selling counterfeit Genabio devices” by “misbranding and shipping low-quality devices through interstate commerce.”

    The company also claimed that CorDx’s U.S.-based facilities weren’t large enough to produce COVID tests at the scale necessary to fulfill the HHS contract—and alleged that CorDx was manufacturing the products in China.

    “CorDx’s behavior suggests its production facilities in the United States are insufficient for COVID test manufacturing at scale and, as a result, CorDx must use facilities outside the U.S. for manufacturing completed test kits before shipping such kits to the United States,” the complaint said.

    Although CorDx has facilities in the United States, it has a history of producing products in China, including rapid tests for infectious diseases, fertility, and drug use.

    As recently as January 2021, CorDx described itself as “headquartered in California with production based in China,” according to an archived version of its website. The company now says it has “manufacturing footprints in the United States and around the world.”

    The HHS award is aimed at bolstering U.S. supply chains and requires companies to manufacture the COVID tests domestically. The agency said the funding to CorDx would help “strengthen the nation’s capacity to manufacture tests,” according to a press release.

    “These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus,” said HHS secretary Xavier Becerra.

    Lawmakers have warned about COVID relief funds being diverted to foreign actors, but the Biden administration has vowed to use federal spending bills to boost domestic production. Despite this, Chinese companies have been selected for federal funding after setting up U.S. headquarters.

    https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/biden-admin-gave-86-million-to-chinese-company-accused-of-peddling-fake-covid-test-kits/

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Nancy Pelosi is being sued by Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Green for her role in financially sanctioning Congress members who refused to comply with her mask mandates. The Petition for Certiorari landed at the United States Supreme Court and names Pelosi in her official… pic.twitter.com/XdzFzoROWR

    — Robert Gouveia Esq. (@RobGouveiaEsq) December 5, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Judge says Trump does not have absolute immunity. This Radical Left ideology is a threat to the Presidency. It means that Crooked Joe Biden can be held personally liable for his Open Border Policy, and all of his other mistakes and decisions that are destroying our Nation!…

    — Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 5, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Liked by 1 person

  29. The Vigilant Fox 🦊
    @VigilantFox
    Slovakia Shocks the World: New Prime Minister Rejects Signing the WHO Pandemic Treaty

    Prime Minister Robert Fico calls the WHO Pandemic Treaty “nonsense invented by greedy pharma companies.”

    He also said, “One study after another confirms the scandalous consequences of mass vaccination with untested experimental vaccines.”

    There is no other head of state in the world who has had the guts to say this publicly and so explicitly.

    Slovakia is leading the world out of the dark ages of biological warfare by the pharmaceutical industry and globalist institutions like the WHO, in a move that is seen as completely unexpected.

    This move will set off a chain reaction of events…

    Video via @_aussie17

    This post was a condensed version of an article written by @MakisMD
    (give him a follow). Read the full translation of PM Fico’s speech in the comment below:

    Like

  36. they’re throwing kevin a party…
    FTA
    The 3-hour party, whose location is disclosed only to attendees, comes as many Republicans watch eagerly to see what McCarthy does next after eight GOP colleagues joined a unified Democratic caucus in stripping his gavel in October. Some believe he could resign his seat now that the chaotic three-week clamor to replace him has settled down.

    https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/12/04/congress/the-mccarthy-party-00129954

    Liked by 1 person

  38. “What is Wall Street trying to accomplish with Nikki Haley? The ruling class makes last ditch effort to propel former UN Ambassador’s candidacy. But what is the mission at hand?”
    JORDAN SCHACHTEL
    DEC 5, 2023

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “As someone who covers the intersections of money, power, and politics, one of the most commonly asked questions that comes my way these days involves the intrigue surrounding the Nikki Haley campaign.

    Few on “Main St” seem particularly supportive of Haley — because her policy proposals routinely threaten their privacy and livelihoods — while the right flank of the GOP voting base has dismissed her entirely. Her campaign seems to be tailored to people who read The Dispatch and The Bulwark (that is, if those two entities still exist), and think fondly of the Bush era and its accompanying never-ending wars and routine liberty violations.

    Simply put, the numbers don’t add up. Nikki Haley isn’t running her campaign to win over the Republican electorate. She’s running a campaign on behalf of the people in charge.

    Despite the common sense that she has no path to victory , there has been a significant amount of money and power consolidating behind her campaign. Just this week, Haley held a major fundraiser for Wall Street donors who support both Republicans and Democrats, securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. A couple weeks ago, she met with the infamous BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and other influential parasitic corporatist leaders.

    In order to curry favor with her billionaire technocratic totalitarian roster of support, Haley has openly supported the dramatic bolstering of censorship and surveillance online. This also includes going on television and other forms of media, through which she expresses her support for the progressive social justice/Rainbow Jihad agenda, which notably is the status quo in Big Corporate America.
    https://www.dossier.today/p/the-wef-queen-anti-human-nikki-haley
    Clearly, Nikki Haley has sold her agency to a small group of powerful and influential elites, happily volunteering herself as a vessel for their political endeavors.

    So, what’s the catch? What exactly is the game plan? That much still remains unclear. But let me highlight a few possibilities:

    1. Nikki Haley isn’t running for president. She’s running for VP or a high ranking, influential cabinet position like Secretary of State.

    I assign this idea as having the highest probability among them all. Notably, Haley has poured tons of campaign money into attacking Governor Ron DeSantis, but has spent zero dollars on ads going after former President Donald Trump. She has also refused to criticize him even in the slightest while on the debate stage or on the campaign trail.

    It’s also possible, however, that Haley wants to win over the MAGA vote. But when surveyed, these voters want nothing to do with her. So from a strategic perspective, the hands-off approach to the frontrunner doesn’t make much sense. She’s refusing to take a swing at the king, and you can’t help but to think that it’s because her backers are angling for an upgrade from the U.N. post in a potential Trump term two.

    2. Haley is serious about running for president, and her donors are hopelessly misguided

    While I assign this as having significantly lower probability than option 1, we can’t simply rule it out. It’s worth remembering that Oracle founder Larry Ellison, an undoubtedly brilliant businessman, set millions of dollars on fire in an attempt to advance Sen Tim Scott’s awful campaign, and past presidential campaigns are rife with many such examples of billionaires wasting untold millions on horrible candidates. Yes, Haley’s people have a lot of money and influence, but that doesn’t mean they are more politically savvy than you and I.

    3, Haley is positioning herself for a 3rd party run

    It’s 2023 and anything is possible. And the “centrist” organization No Labels has effectively endorsed the idea of Haley running against Biden and Trump.”

    Liked by 1 person

  40. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

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