It's Alive Animals

Blennies have a lot of fang for such little fishes

Some are venomous, but others are just faking

Meiacanthus grammistes

ON POINT  The two big teeth in the lower jaw of this fang blenny (Meiacanthus grammistes) have a groove for venom delivery.

Anthony O’Toole

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

After a recent flurry of news that fang blennies mix an opioid in their venom, a question lingers: What do they need with fangs anyway? Most eat wimpy stuff that hardly justifies whopper canines.