Name: Garibaldi, Garibaldi damselfish
Scientific Name: Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard, 1854)
Family: Pomacentridae
Group: Bony fish
Class: Fish
Size: 26-50 cm.
The garibaldis are very characteristic fish of the coastal waters of California, where they live on rocky bottoms, next to small caves and kelp forests. The adults are extremely territorial and defend large areas against all intruders, even fairly large potential predators, such as seals. When they pursue intruders, they rub the teeth in their throat together, emitting perfectly audible, noisy snapping sounds. During the reproductive season, each male prepares a nest, cleaning an area on the bottom where the female deposits her eggs, which are then tenaciously defended by the male until hatching.
Photo by:
Abílio Leitão
Temperate Pacific
