Garibaldi (fish)

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Garibaldi
Hypsypops rubicundus adult.jpg
At Birch Aquarium, La Jolla, California
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Blenniiformes
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Pomacentrinae
Genus: Hypsypops
Gill, 1861
Species:
H. rubicundus
Binomial name
Hypsypops rubicundus
(Girard, 1854)
Synonyms

Glyphisodon rubicundusGirard, 1854

The Garibaldi, known historically also as the Catalina goldfish and marine goldfish and now commonly as the Garibaldi damselfish (Hypsypops rubicundus) is a species of bright orange fish in the damselfish family. It occurs in the subtropical northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The Garibaldi is the official marine state fish of California, as of 1955, and has since been protected in California coastal waters from recreation and commercial fishing. [2] [3]

Contents

The English name, Garibaldi, is based on an Italian surname and is a reference to the Italian general and political figure Giuseppe Garibaldi, whose followers often wore a characteristic scarlet or red shirt. As is the case in all damselfish, male Garibaldis aggressively defend the nest site after the female lays eggs.

Description

Garibaldi are deep-bodied, or laterally compressed fish, covered in coarse scales. They have a single dorsal fin with about 12 spines and 16 rays. [4]   Adult fish in this species are uniformly bright orange in color. It is the largest member of the damselfish family and can grow up to 35.6 cm (14.02 in) in length. Among Garibaldi there is a sexual size dimorphism, with adult males growing, on average, 25mm larger than females. [5] An unusual trait for damselfish species and other marine fish in southern California, where typically adult females are larger. [5]

Juveniles are a deeper, more reddish shade of orange and are covered in many small iridescent blue stripes and spots, which they gradually lose as they become adults. [4] Their tail (caudal fin) and dorsal fins are more translucent compared to their adult counterparts.

Role of Coloration Difference

A study conducted by Caron & Rainboth in 1992, found that vibrant colorations reduce aggressive behavior that territorial fish express toward members of their own species, especially during the breeding season. [6] They tested orange and patterned orange (in addition to non-orange) as a stimuli for territorial behavior in Garibaldi. Finding orange to be a very successful stimulus, and that adding disruptive patterns to the color orange counteracts or nullifies the effect of pure orange. [6] Supporting the “intraspecific camouflage” theory, or the idea that the distinct coloration of juvenile Garibaldi allows them to go unrecognized as competitors by the adults. However, Caron & Rainboth only tested the effect of color using blocks of color, would there be the same results with live fish?

A separate study, (Neal, 1993), answers this by conducting preliminary experiments where adult Garibaldi were exposed to live fish with various colorations. [7] Which resulted in the normal-colored juvenile being attacked more (not less as you'd expect with intraspecific camouflage) than the adult-colored juvenile. [7]  A hypothesis known as “adult-habituation” could provide an alternate, theoretical basis for Garibaldi juveniles being more brightly colored than adults. This hypothesis proposes that the vibrant colors of the juveniles help adults get used to their presence more quickly. Particularly when juveniles begin remaining within adult territories, using shelter holes too small for the adults to follow. The idea is that the juvenile coloration works similar to the bright coloration of poisonous organisms. Except instead of facilitating the recognition of a deadly prey, it accelerated Garibaldi adults learning to avoid wasting time and energy chasing after juvenile fish. Allowing juveniles to gradually increase the amount of time it can spend foraging within the adult's territory. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Garibaldis are found in water from a depth of up to 30 metres (98 ft) depth, usually in association with rock reefs, and typically over rocky sea-bottoms. [8] Preferring to live over rocky bottoms on exposed/semi protected coasts with clear water, and plenty of crevices as well as small caves for cover. [4] Juveniles can be found in tide pools and up to depths of 40 feet. This species is native to the north-eastern subtropical parts of the Pacific Ocean, ranging from Monterey Bay, California, to Guadalupe Island, Baja California. [8]

Biology

Life History

The breeding season for Garibaldi may begin as early as March and continue through July. [4] During this time the male clears a sheltered nest site within his territory; the female then deposits eggs within the nest. When first deposited, the elliptical eggs are bright yellow and turn gray after approximately 5 days. [9]   After fertilizing the eggs, the male guards the nest area until the eggs hatch, which takes 19–21 days, or two to three weeks. Garibaldi have diel patterns of egg-hatching, meaning spawning occurs at regular intervals within a day (24 hours), every day during the spawning season. [10] Embryos hatch within 2 hours after sunset and before early morning, potentially to minimize risk of predation by planktivorous reef fishes. [10] The embryos hatch and disperse as planktonic larvae, eventually reaching the first juvenile stage with a striped blue head and iridescent blue markings over an otherwise translucent orange body. [9] [4] In their juvenile stage, Garibaldi will inhabit tiny crevices, or shelter holes, in their habitat. As they grow older their orange color deepens and they gradually lose their blue markings. [9] Garibaldi will typically achieve adult coloration at around 5 years, and reach sexual maturity at 6 years. [11] The average lifespan is believed to be around 12 years, and for the longest time the maximum age for an individual is 17 years. [11] A newer study, conducted by Williams et al., 2022, collected a Garibaldi with the age of 57 years, making them the longest lived of any species of damselfish by two decades. [5]

Diet

Classified as generalist omnivores Garibaldi feed mainly on invertebrates, [8] which they remove from the rocks. Their diet also includes a variety of algae and occasionally their own eggs. [3] Garibaldi are found to most commonly feed upon fleshy red algae, polychaete worms, anemones, and sponge fragments. But also have been found to eat encrusting bryozoans, hydroids, branching bryozoans, mollusks, and brown algae. [3]

Predators

Adult Garibaldi have very few known natural predators, and are protected by law against fishing. [5]  Although Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) has been reported to prey upon the on young-of-the-year Garibaldi. [5]

Parasites and Cleaning Symbiosis

Senoritas (Oxyjulis californica) and Kelp Perch (Brachyistius frenatus) remove external parasitic organisms, like bacteria, fungi, copepods, and isopods from Garibaldis. [4] As is the case with other parasitized fish species, Garibaldi will seek out cleaner fishes to remove particular parasites. It has been observed that Garibaldi will often hold their operculum open so that a Senorita can remove gill parasites. The red and white shrimp (Hippolysmata californica) has also been observed removing parasites from Garibaldi. [4]

Behavior

Territoriality

Unlike other damselfish where males guard nest sites only during the mating season, both male and female adult Garibaldi tend to defend year-round territories of about 3-10 square meters, demonstrating a strong attachment to their specific locations. [5] Males are more strict with defense, especially during the breeding season. [12] During the time period that the eggs are developing, the male Garibaldi aggressively tries to keep all other fish away from the eggs, and will boldly attack much larger swimming creatures, including humans, to the point of biting divers in order to try to drive them away from the area where the eggs are deposited. Garibaldi territories include a shelter hole, foraging area, and for adult males, a nest site consisting of perennial patches of red algae cultivated by the male. [12] These territories often share borders, but boundaries are maintained with a little intraspecific aggression but mostly aggression towards other species. [12] Juvenile Garibaldi don't tend to be territorial or aggressive toward each other unless they are confined in an aquarium. [11]

Female Spawning-Site Selection

Females will travel considerable distances during breeding season, encountering courting males and don't just spawn automatically with the mate nearest to her territory. [13] She has standards, favoring nests that already contain eggs. Females will selectively spawn with males whose nests contain eggs that are less than three days old, over males with empty nests or those guarding mostly older eggs. [9] They will also always lay their eggs adjacent to younger eggs. Depositing eggs among other females would confer the advantage of reduced risk of predation per egg through the diluting effect (there is a per capita reduction in predation risk when spawning in nests with eggs). [9]

When choosing empty nests, female Garibaldi base their decision on algal growth. They prefer nests with the greatest amount of dense turf algae with short or medium growth. [13] As this may be a reflection of the amount of energy a male devotes to nest tending, serving as an indicator of ability to invest in paternal care and/or parental experience. [13]

Filial Cannibalism

Filial cannibalism is when parents consume their own offspring, in this case their eggs. This is a widespread behavior among teleost fish. [14] Male filial cannibalism during the mating phase is believed to be an adaptive response to female spawning-site preference. [14] Since females only lay eggs next to the youngest eggs, if there are older eggs in the front of the nest they can limit the number of additional eggs the male can receive. One way the male can maintain this age gradient the females look for is by selectively cannibalizing the older eggs that are exposed to empty nest space. [14]

Conservation Status

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists Garibaldi as Least Concern. Due in part to the species being widespread in the Eastern Pacific, common in many parts of its range with no major threats, and no current indication of population decline. [1]

A brand new study Fuentes Calderon et al., 2024, has data that shows correlated patterns between sea surface temperature across islands and the relationship between diet composition and habitat type. It is hard to find direct evidence of habitat-related differences in the ecological performance of marine fishes, but this knowledge can be critically important in the future design and assessment of projects that may add or remove reef habitats in the ocean. [3]

In aquarium

It is peaceful during the juvenile period. But as long as the body is slightly larger, it will show territorial rights to other meek fish and compete with other small fish for territory. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomacentridae</span> Family of ray-finned fishes

Pomacentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, comprising the damselfishes and clownfishes. This family were formerly placed in the order Perciformes but are now regarded as being incertae sedis in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Percomorpha. They are primarily marine, while a few species inhabit freshwater and brackish environments. They are noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality. Many are brightly colored, so they are popular in aquaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damselfish</span> Group of fishes

Damselfish are those within the subfamilies Abudefdufinae, Chrominae, Lepidozyginae, Pomacentrinae, and Stegastinae within the family Pomacentridae. Most species within this group are relatively small, with the largest species being about 30cm in length. Most damselfish species exist only in marine environments, but a few inhabit brackish or fresh water. These fish are found globally in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters.

<i>Dascyllus</i> Genus of fishes

Dascyllus is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. They are usually commensals with corals.

<i>Stegastes</i> Genus of fishes

Stegastes, commonly known as Gregories, is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Pomacentridae. Members of this genus are marine coastal fishes except for S. otophorus, which also occurs in brackish water. These fish are known by the names of damselfish, gregory and major. They are small tropical fish associated with coral and rocky reefs in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are sometimes found in the aquarium trade where they are an easy-to-keep fish, but they do not mix well with other fish of their own or other species because of their territorial habits and aggressiveness.

<i>Chromis punctipinnis</i> Species of fish

The blacksmith, also known as the blacksmith chromis and blacksmith damselfish, is a species of fish in the damselfish family. It is native to the subtropical northeastern Pacific Ocean, where it range is from Monterey Bay, California, USA, to central Baja California, Mexico. This small fish is associated with rocky reefs and kelp forests.

<i>Stegastes nigricans</i> Species of fish

Stegastes nigricans, the dusky farmerfish, is a species of damselfish found around coral reefs at a depth of one to 12 meters, in tropical climates between 30°S and 30°N. They are known for farming monocultures of algae such as cyanophores and rhodophytes.

<i>Chromis viridis</i> Species of fish

Chromis viridis is a species of damselfish. Individuals tend to be iridescent apple-green and light blue, and reach a maximal length of 10 cm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scissortail sergeant</span> Species of fish

The scissortail sergeant or striptailed damselfish is a large damselfish. It earns its name from the black-striped tail and sides, which are reminiscent of the insignia of a military Sergeant, being similar to those of the sergeant major damselfish. It grows to a length of about 16 centimetres (6.3 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitetail dascyllus</span> Species of fish

Dascyllus aruanus, known commonly as the whitetail dascyllus or humbug damselfish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Pomacentridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pacific sergeant</span> Species of fish

The Indo-Pacific sergeant is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. It may also be known as the Sergeant major although this name is usually reserved for the closely related species Abudefduf saxatilis. The closely related Abudefduf caudobimaculatus was formerly considered to be synonymous with this species and, according to some authorities, is synonymous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green damselfish</span> Species of fish

The green damselfish, also known as the Hawaiian sergeant major, is a non-migratory fish of the family Pomacentridae. This fish also goes by the name maomao It occurs in the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, Midway Island and Johnston Atoll. It can grow to a maximum total length of 30 centimetres (12 in).

<i>Holacanthus passer</i> Species of fish

Holacanthus passer is a large reef dwelling marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae.

<i>Dascyllus melanurus</i> Species of fish

Dascyllus melanurus, known commonly as the four stripe damselfish, blacktail dascyllus, humbug damselfish, blacktail damselfish, and blacktail humbug, is a species of fish in the family Pomacentridae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes kept as an aquarium pet.

<i>Chromis chromis</i> Species of fish

Chromis chromis, the damselfish or Mediterranean chromis, is a small species of ray-finned fish of the family Pomacentridae from the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.

<i>Microspathodon chrysurus</i> Species of fish

The yellowtail damselfish is a species of damselfish native to tropical areas such as the Caribbean coast of Panama. Damselfish are abundant in coral reef environments. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists this fish as being of “least concern”. The species is exploited on a minor scale, for fisheries and the aquarium trade. It may be threatened by the invasive lionfish.

<i>Stegastes planifrons</i> Species of fish

Stegastes planifrons is a damselfish from the Western Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

<i>Abudefduf troschelii</i> Species of fish

Abudefduf troschelii, the Pacific sergeant major or Panama sergeant major, is a species of damselfish belonging to the family Pomacentridae that can be identified by the pronounced black stripes on the lateral sides of the fish. Its specific name honors the zoologist Franz Hermann Troschel (1810-1882). It is native to the neritic pelagic zone of the shallow water coral reefs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and they are an omnivorous species feeding on plankton and algae attached to their coral habitat. Abudefduf troschelii is a sister-species of A. saxatilis but have diverged from each other since the uplift of the isthmus of Panama, separated by the rise of the Panama land bridge 3.1 to 3.5 million years ago. Males, like in many other marine species, take care of and defend newborn A. troschelii after they have been hatched by eggs from the female. There are currently no major threats to the species and there is no indication of a current decline in its population size. The IUCN Red List lists this damselfish as being of “least concern”.

<i>Neoglyphidodon oxyodon</i> Species of fish

Neoglyphidodon oxyodon, the neon velvet damselfish is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean. They are found in the aquarium hobby.

<i>Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus</i> Species of fish

Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus, known as yellow damselfish, yellowfin damselfish, yellow flank damselfish, yellow side damselfish, and yellow-sided Damselfish, is part Pomacentridae, which is a family of ray-finned fish including damselfish and clownfish. This family represents the greatest diversity and abundance of fish species inhabiting coral reefs. They were first described in 1980 by Allen and Randall.

<i>Stegastes xanthurus</i> Species of fish

Stegastes xanthurus, also known as the Caribbean cocoa damselfish, is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae, found on coral and rocky reefs in the Caribbean Sea and neighboring areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 Allen, G.; Robertson, R. & Lea, B. (2010). "Hypsypops rubicundus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T183367A8100806. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183367A8100806.en .
  2. ↑ California State Library - History and Culture - State Symbols
  3. 1 2 3 4 Fuentes Calderon, B. E., Eagleton, J. L., Williams, C. M., Claisse, J. T. (1 November 2024). "Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus) from artificial reefs and cooler island natural reefs consume more animal material, which is associated with greater adult size and body condition". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 580: 152048. Bibcode:2024JEMBE.58052048F. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152048 . ISSN   0022-0981.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Limbaugh, C. (1964). "Notes on the Life History of Two Californian Pomacentrids: Garibaldis, Hypsypops rubicunda (Girard), and Blacksmiths, Chromis punctipinnis (Cooper)". Pacific Science. 18 (1): 41–50. ISSN   0030-8870.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Williams, C. M., Eagleton, J. L., Pondella, D. J., Claisse, J. T. (6 October 2022). "Habitat type and environmental conditions influence the age and growth of a temperate marine damselfish". Frontiers in Marine Science. 9. Frontiers. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.988158 . ISSN   2296-7745.
  6. 1 2 Caron, S., Rainboth, W. J. (1992). "Field Analysis of Color Cues That Elicit Territorial Behavior in the Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus (Pomacentridae)". Copeia. 1992 (4). [American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), Allen Press]: 1080–1084. doi:10.2307/1446642. ISSN   0045-8511. JSTOR   1446642 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Neal, T. J. (1993). "A test of the function of juvenile color patterns in the pomacentrid fish Hypsypops rubicundus (Teleostei: Pomacentridae)" (PDF). Pacific Science. 47 (3): 240–247. ISSN   0030-8870 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Hypsypops rubicundus". FishBase . November 2005 version.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Sikkel, P. C. (1 September 1989). "Egg presence and developmental stage influence spawning-site choice by female garibaldi". Animal Behaviour. 38 (3): 447–456. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(89)80038-7. ISSN   0003-3472 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  10. 1 2 Alcalay, O. M., Sikkel, P. C. (1994). "Diel periodicity of hatching of demersal eggs in the temperate damselfish, Hypsypops rubicundus". Bulletin of Marine Science. 54 (2): 565–569. ISSN   0007-4977 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Clarke, T. A. (1970). "Territorial Behavior and Population Dynamics of a Pomacentrid Fish, the Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicunda". Ecological Monographs. 40 (2). Ecological Society of America: 189–212. Bibcode:1970EcoM...40..189C. doi:10.2307/1942295. ISSN   0012-9615. JSTOR   1942295 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Clarke, T. A. (1971). "Territory Boundaries, Courtship, and Social Behavior in the Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicunda (Pomacentridae)". Copeia. 1971 (2). [American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), Allen Press]: 295–299. doi:10.2307/1442830. ISSN   0045-8511. JSTOR   1442830 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 Sikkel, P. C. (1988). "Factors Influencing Spawning Site Choice by Female Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus (Pisces: Pomacentridae)". Copeia. 1988 (3). [American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), Allen Press]: 710–718. doi:10.2307/1445392. ISSN   0045-8511. JSTOR   1445392 . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 Sikkel, P. C. (1 May 1994). "Filial cannibalism in a paternal-caring marine fish: the influence of egg developmental stage and position in the nest". Animal Behaviour. 47 (5): 1149–1158. doi:10.1006/anbe.1994.1153. ISSN   0003-3472 . Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  15. ↑ YouTube <<Advance Marine Aquarium>> Creatures section, Damselfish - Author:Sublanding Fish[2020-06-19]
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