That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information
Some of the things that the scientific community is “discovering” are things that have been known for years by reef hobbyists. I’ve been reading through some articles about recently published studies. A couple of them really got my attention as things that many hobbyist already know, just from keeping aquariums in their homes.
Distressing Damsels
Ask a long time reef aquarist about keeping damselfish in a reef aquarium…they will probably tell you that damsels are aggressive, and sometimes destructive to a reef aquarium community. A study recently published on PLoSONE.org found that Threespot Damselfish are damaging coral reefs in their efforts to find new habitat. Read More »
Damselfishes are generally small, brilliantly-colored and in near constant motion. These characteristics, along with their general hardiness, render them quite popular with aquarists.
Damselfishes seem inordinately protective of their territories, so much so that these tiny warriors will even attempt to drive off human divers! Research has revealed that several species engage in “aquatic farming, with mated pairs protecting beds of algae, a favored food. Thick mats of algae often grow within well guarded territories but are absent outside these territories, due to a large number of other fishes and invertebrates that feed upon algae.