Xiphasia matsubarai, the Japanese snake blenny, is a species of combtooth blenny found in the western Pacific and Indian oceans just extending into the Atlantic Ocean in False Bay, South Africa.

They have gray-brown stripes that cover the length of their bodies starting at the head.

The eyes are slightly smaller and located near the lateral sides of the head.

Smith-Vanzi and Shen made important comparisons between the X. matsubarai and the X. setifer, which included fin length and color.

[3] The specific name honours the Japanese ichthyologist Kiyomatsu Matsubara (1907-1968) of Kyoto University who was a colleague of the two authors and who named this species in his honour in gratitude for the kindness he had shown them.