The broomtail wrasse (Cheilinus lunulatus) is a reef fish endemic to the Red Sea. The wrasse family is a diverse group of fish adapted to mostly eat benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates. The broomtail is a great example of the beautiful coloration that many members of this family exhibit. This guy mostly hangs out in this area and seems to enjoy munching on urchins. In this video he still has a small spine embedded near his mouth! Wrasses also like to eat mollusks and other small shelled creatures living in the substrate.
This individual was unusual in behavior, following us around as we set up plankton nets for a colleague's experiment. He stayed very close to each of us throughout the dive, swimming in circles around us and settling down next to me whenever I stopped and rested on the seafloor. When I put my finger out he actually rubbed up against it! Most other wrasses keep at least a few feet of distance from divers, so it was very interesting to see one so close, eye to eye.
No comments:
Post a Comment