It’s An Orange Fish

It’s An Orange Fish

On our first dive yesterday, one of the most striking fish we saw was the Garibaldi fish. These orange fish get their name from a famous Italian politician who often work bright orange/red. Mother nature gave this fish their color and thank goodness it did!

Date: 1/19

Location: Kelp forest

Garibaldi fish fun facts:

• Garibaldi are members of the damselfish family.
• They are the largest member of the damselfish family.
• Garibaldi are very territorial.
• Males will aggressively defend eggs while they are incubating. They are even known to bite divers who get to close.
• When they charge, they make a grunting noise as a warning.

• Garibaldi are the state marine fish of California.
• Females choose their mates by how much they like the nest a male has. Females can check out over a dozen nests before choosing the right one.
• They often choose a nest that has other females’ eggs in it. This means the male defends the nest well.

It’s amazing how nature works. Who knew that female Garibaldi were so picky. But who can blame them, when there are many predators in the sea who find your eggs to be so tasty.