The Sarcastic Fringehead and other Bizarre Creatures

In a list of the strangest animals on earth, the sarcastic fringehead swims in its own lane. The species is Neoclinus blanchardi, named after Dr. S. B. Blanchard, who collected the first described specimen, but you really want to know how it got its common name. So do I. The "fringehead" most likely came from the fish's enormous and flexible mouth, which it uses in fights. Watch two sarcastic fringeheads do battle in this video. Swallow whatever it is you're drinking first. 



They are not really trying to kiss each other to death; it's more of a measuring contest. The fish that has the largest mouth always "wins." If they were talking, we can imagine they would be saying something sarcastic. Still, the name seems like a stretch. If I were coining its common name, I would call it hairtrigger bigmouth. Read more about the sarcastic fringehead and 16 other of the world's most bizarre animals in a list at Science Focus. -via Digg

(Image credit: Evan Baldonado)