. Bulletin. Science. 146 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. Fig. 1. Left lateral view of the sabertooth blenny, Plagiotremus azaleus, ( mm SL, SI098- 263) captured in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California on 18 August 1998. Photograph by Daniel J. Pondella, II. holotype (USNM 44299) was collected at Indefatigable Island, Galapagos. Much confusion has been noted in the nomenclature of this species, primarily due to the conspicuous color phase shift from a banded juvenile phase to a striped adult phase. Runula azaleus was placed in Plagiotremus by Smith-Vaniz (1976) based upon a singl
. Bulletin. Science. 146 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. Fig. 1. Left lateral view of the sabertooth blenny, Plagiotremus azaleus, ( mm SL, SI098- 263) captured in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California on 18 August 1998. Photograph by Daniel J. Pondella, II. holotype (USNM 44299) was collected at Indefatigable Island, Galapagos. Much confusion has been noted in the nomenclature of this species, primarily due to the conspicuous color phase shift from a banded juvenile phase to a striped adult phase. Runula azaleus was placed in Plagiotremus by Smith-Vaniz (1976) based upon a single apomorphic character described as "snout of adults fleshy, ; Smith-Vaniz (1976) included a key to the genera and species of Nemophini and he did recognize Runula as a subgenus of Plagiotremus as five of the 11 species of Plagiotremus, including the sabertooth blenny, share the derived snout shape described above. SCUBA divers can easily identify the sabertooth blenny and it is especially striking within the temperate reef community. Distinguished by its elongate body, cone-shaped snout, and bright yellow and blue stripes, the sabertooth blenny is easily differentiated from other members of eastern Pacific reef fish communities with the exception of the initial phase of the Cortez rainbow wrasse, Thallasoma lucasanum (Perciformes: Labridae). The sabertooth blenny only superficially re- sembles the Cortez rainbow wrasse, but differs in lacking the characteristic red underside of the wrasse, being clearly less deep bodied, and having an inferior mouth (rather than terminal). While sabertooth blennies are known to aggregate with adult Cortez rainbow wrasses, they are not an aggressive mimic of the parasite-cleaning behavior of the juveniles (Hobson 1969). The three types of classical mimicry (Batesian, Mullerian and aggressive), may be found in Plagiotremus as well as in the allied blenniid genera Aspidontus, Ecsenius, and Petroscirtes. The classical example of
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