Fish of the Day 58 - I got that damselfish in me

Todays fish of the day is the damselfish! Or, more specifically, Stegastes nigricans - the dusty farmerfish. You'll soon see why it got that name! 

Dusty farmerfish facts:

- These fish have a very unique way of gathering food. As herbivores, they feed on algae, but they do not search for it or forage like other fish. Instead, they have a territory which they use as an area to grow certain kinds of algae, while ensuring more pesky kinds stay away. Basically, they farm, and make sure no weeds grow instead of their crops! They also make an effort of keeping intruders away from their farmland. This includes both predators... and divers! They are surprisingly aggressive.

- The reason why they choose to grow select kinds of algae is because they lack the enzymes necessary to digest certain kinds, such as red hair algae. Maybe its for the better, cause it doesn't look too appetizing!

- Additionally, just like farmers, they also take care of livestock. It seems humans arent the only ones who can tame smaller animals, because these damselfish have learnt how to domesticate mysid shrimp! Mysid shrimp have begun to depend on farming damselfish; scientists ran a test to see how they reacted to the scent of certain fish (like... get this: the slippery dick wrasse), and they were attracted to the smell of damselfish who tend to algae farms. Turns out, they protect the shrimp that live in their territory by warding off other sea creatures that could hurt them, which is why they seem to seek out fish like the Dusty farmerfish. But what do the farming damselfish get in return? Well.. the mysid shrimps' waste will fertilize the algae. Clever!

- The farming habits of this fish helps maintain the health of coral reefs!


Do you got that damselfish in you? I don't. They remind me of larder beetles (awful pests) due to their little brown stripe!