The damselfish and its garden

In the Caribbean, a damselfish lives beside a patch of algae. It feeds on some of the algae and may chase away other fish that come to graze.

A damselfish above its algal turf.
The algal turf provides food for the damselfish. © dive.explo360.fr — All rights reserved. Reproduction requires permission.
A damselfish and a grazer near an algal patch.
In this illustrated scene, repeated chases give a clue to where the fish’s territory ends. © dive.explo360.fr — All rights reserved. Reproduction requires permission.

A boundary revealed by chasing

You won’t see a line on the rock. Watch where the damselfish stops chasing and turns back. That gives you a clue to where the area it guards ends.

Three resources worth defending

1

Food

An algal patch feeds the damselfish.
2

Reproduction

A rock surface holds the damselfish’s eggs.
3

Shelter

An anemone shelters a group of clownfish.

A damselfish guards its eggs

In the Mediterranean, a male damselfish watches over a rock with eggs attached to it. He stays close while the eggs develop.

A dark Mediterranean damselfish above eggs on a rock.
Mediterranean damselfish often school above the seabed. Breeding males guard eggs laid on the substrate. © dive.explo360.fr — All rights reserved. Reproduction requires permission.

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