#pomacentridae

Red Sea Clown Fish aka Two-banded Anemonefish (Amphiprion bicintus), family Pomacentridae, order Blenniiformes, Red Sea, Egypt

A Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) infested by a tongue-eating louse (Cymothoa exigua) in Indonesia

Chromis axillaris

A damselfish found in the Indo-Pacific, from east Africa to New Caledonia.

Least Concern

RF - Gorgonian coral sea fans (Melithaea sp.) with Yellowtail fusiliers (Caesio cuning) and Banana fusiliers (Pterocaesio pisang) feeding on zooplankton in midwater. Also seen among the sea fans are Damselfish (Pomacentridae) and Anthias (Anthias sp.), Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Pomacentridae. This family is made up of clownfishes and damselfishes. Some damselfish have been observed to have domesticated mysid shrimp.

Plesiopidae. This family is known as longfins or spiny basslets.

Clutch of damselfish (Pomacentridae) fry developing in Pulau Bangka, Indonesia

Always a Good Time with Garibaldi

Named after the famous Italian revolutionary, the garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus), also known as the marine goldfish or the catalina goldfish, is a species of damselfish found throughout the northeastern Pacific Ocean, particularly in kelp forests and rocky reefs along the North American coasts from central California in the US to Baja, Mexico.

H. rubicundus can grow to be over 38 cm (15 in) in length, making them the largest member of the damselfish family. Juveniles are red with blue spots, while adults are a vivid, solid orange. This color is what gives the garibaldi fish its name; the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi and his followers were known for their red or orange shirts. Because they’re so brightly colored, marine goldfish might seem like easy targets for potential predators. However, garibaldi males are actually highly aggressive and will attack anything that enters their territory. The juvenile markings are similarly bright to advertise that they’re not there to pick a fight with older males.

Though males guard their territory year-round, mating only occurs from March to July. Males construct nests about 30 cm (12 in) across, removing all vegetation except for red algae. They then swim around their nest, displaying their fins and making loud clucking and grinding vocalizations. If a female is impressed, she deposits up to eggs 15,000 eggs in the nest, and the male fertilizes them. He then guards the eggs from almost-- including the mother, who may try to eat them. However, he does make exceptions for other females, especially as they are more likely to chose nests which already contain eggs. About three weeks after being laid, the eggs hatch and the young disperse. It takes them about five or six years to reach maturity, and individuals can live between 10 to 12 years.

The marine goldfish’s size and aggression wards off most predators, but larger animals like sharks, seals, and sea lions will hunt them on occasion. Younger individuals are also often targeted by sea birds like pelicans. Garibaldis themselves consume invertebrates, particularly sponges tubeworms, and nudibranchs, as well as algae. Despite their territoriality, H. rubicundus has also been known to gather in groups higher up in the water column; this may be a time for males to familiarize and for females to scout out potential mates.

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Photos

The US National Parks Service

Claire Fackler