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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about sarcastic fringeheads. We can get a little sarcastic here, but we do mean it when we say it helps if you subscribe! Sarcastic fringeheads are fish commonly found living in temperate coastal waters along the shores of California and Mexico. Generally they are found in water between ten and 240 feet (3 - 73 meters) deep, meaning they don’t usually have to deal with waves that break on the surface of the water - not that these guys visit the surface! Sarcastic fringeheads spend most of their time in dens along the ocean floor. These dens may be made out of clam and snail shells, burrows made by crustaceans and clams, and even human refuse such as empty bottles. In some areas where bottles litter the bottom of the ocean, each bottle may house a sarcastic fringehead. I guess they’re making the best of what is otherwise kind of a bad situation. Sarcastic fringeheads enter their dens tail first so they don’t have to worry about turning around once inside.

These are some strange looking fish. One of the most recognizable characteristics of a sarcastic fringehead is its huge mouth. Often the “sarcastic” part of their name is attributed to their temperament, which we’ll be discussing shortly, however, this part of their name actually comes from Greek origins and means something along the lines of to bite and tear. Inside that gaping maw, sarcastic fringeheads have sharp, needle like teeth which may be used to help capture soft-bodied prey like cephalopods. The “fringehead” part of their name comes from the funny looking fringes over their eyes. They’re like exceptionally bushy eyebrows! Like the wolffish we’ve talked about previously, sarcastic fringeheads have slender, slight compressed bodies - but the sarcastic fringehead’s mouth is far larger. Male sarcastic fringeheads have bigger mouths than females, and the males will fight each other using these open jaws. Be it over territory or ladies, sarcastic fringehead males will slam their mouths together like they’re having the most aggressive make-out session ever. The winners of these matches get the best dens and have the chance to mate.

Female sarcastic fringeheads make the choice of who will father their offspring. A female will lay her eggs in the den of a triumphant male and leave them behind to be protected by him. The eggs stick together and stick to the den, and it’s the males job to keep them safe until they hatch. A male is so protective of his offspring that he’ll even attack divers who swim too close. Sarcastic fringeheads have been known to tear wetsuits when fending off the roving human. All of this from a fish that averages half a foot (15 centimeters) in length. Upwards of 3,000 babies will hatch inside his den, and it’s while they’re in this state that they’re likely the most vulnerable to predation.

Though they’re smaller fish, adult sarcastic fringeheads are so aggressive that most other animals don’t mess with them. Heck, even anglers, who are willing to take on freaking tigerfish, don’t like to mess with sarcastic fringeheads due to their intense teeth and strange mouths. Some scientists speculate that the sarcastic fringehead’s large mouth may inhibit feeding - I mean, it does seem like it could get in the way - however, these fish are often considered omnivores and opportunistic feeders. Sarcastic fringeheads don’t swim for long periods of time. Instead of venturing from their homes and hunting down prey, they rely more on prey to pass by them while staying in their cozy home. Sarcastic fringeheads eat squid eggs, possibly crustaceans, and plankton floating in the water column. Other fish related to sarcastic fringeheads may use suction to catch prey, but the sarcastic fringeheads’ large mouths prohibit this. In the wild, a sarcastic fringehead may live to be six years old.

For more facts on sarcastic fringeheads, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.