Asmall fish with a punk hairdo peers out from his crevice on the reef, taking in the view of sponges and sea anemones. Bright red tentacles on his head sway gently in the swell and these, together with large, high-set eyes and thick lips, give him quite a comical appearance from our perspective. Yet his looks belie his feisty nature. For this little tompot blenny - the species is usually under 20cm long - has defended his territory against intruders for three years now. The battles have left him scarred around the mouth, but that doesn't seem to deter the females that enter his home to lay their eggs, which he then tends with devotion until they hatch.
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