Marine Life with Brenda

Titan triggerfish  Titan triggerfish ( Balistoides viridescens ) is a large triggerfish species found in lagoons and reefs at depths of 50 m in most of the Indo-Pacific, although it is not found in Hawaii. It is the largest trigger-fish species in its range with a length of up to 75 centimetres. Titan triggerfish is solitary and diurnal. It feeds on sea urchins, molluscs, crustaceans, coral and tubular worms. Here is a piece of advice.  They can be quite aggressive so if you are a beginner diver please don't swim towards them. 

The blue-green chromis  Chromis viridis is an endangered species. Individuals appear to be apple-green and light blue iridescent, reaching a median length of 10 cm. The species is found in the Indo-Pacific with the Red Sea included. Adults of this species can grow to a maximum length of up to 10 centimetres. They have 12 dorsal rays on their fins, 9 to 11 soft dorsal rays, 2 anal spines and 9 to 11 anal soft rays. Males become more yellowish when they are breeding. Chromis viridis breed over debris and sand. The male prepares the nest that is shared with a few females. The nest is in the sand or on debris. The male becomes more yellowish in colour, during spawning. Large numbers of eggs will hatch in 2–3 days. The male watches over the nest, ventilating it with its fins and feeding on those eggs that do not hatch. Males feed on unhatched eggs to keep them from being breeding grounds for the life-threatening micro-organisms.

Sea goldie  The sea goldie ( Pseudanthias squamipinnis ) in the subfamily Anthiinae is a small genus of colourful fish. The sea goldie is present in the west Indian Ocean like the Red Sea, and as far east as Japan and southeast Australia in the Pacific Ocean. The fish lives in transparent lagoons, patch reefs and steep slopes down to a depth of 35 metres around coral outcrops. Males have a reddish purple pattern on their pectoral fins, and appear to live with several females in closed groups. They tend to live around rocky reefs or areas covered with corals.  All of these fish are born as females but they change sex as appropriate after forming a large group. Small schools may have only one male, but larger schools can be between 10-30% male.

Chromodoris magnifica Chromodoris magnifica in the Chromodorididae family is a sea slug, a genus of nudibranch, a shellless marine gastropod mollusk. This nudibranch is found from Indonesia and the Philippines to New Guinea and East Australia, in the central area of the Indo-Pacific zone. It can grow to a maximum length of 60 mm. The body is elongated with a foot that is separate from the upper body by a skirt like a mantle partially covering the foot. Chromodoris magnifica feeds on sponges, and feed on red and grey sponges. 

Starfish  In spite of their famous (and very misleading!) name, starfish are not fish. These belong to a group of animals called invertebrates, which also includes urchins and sponges, because they don't have a backbone. There are about 1,600 different starfish species living in oceans around the world, where they inhabit all types of habitat including tidal pools, rocky beaches, sea grass, kelp beds and coral reefs. Several forms of starfish are found also 9,000 metres deep on sandy seabeds.  Perhaps one of the most useful things a starfish can do is to rebuild its own arms. They can use this trait in several different ways. If a starfish comes into contact with a predator, arms may be lost, or it may be amputated to hide or flee. They also have no blood or brain. Seawater is circulated around their bodies as a substitute for blood, with the water providing the starfish with essential nutrients that allow their organs to function properly. The use water ...

Stone bass  Argyrosomus regius is a member of the Sciaenidae family. It is similar in shape to a European seabass, coloured pearly-silver with a yellow-colored head. Length can range from 40–50 cm to 2 m long, weighing up to 55 kg. Argyrosomus regius has a fairly large head with very tiny eyes, the large mouth is in the terminal position and the body is elongated. Argyrosomus regius is found from Norway to West Africa in the eastern Atlantic including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It colonised the Red Sea by migrating through the Suez Canal. The adults prey on grey mullet and clupeids like sardines that are aggressively pursued in open water. The adults gather for spawning in the inshore waters during spring and summer. The juveniles and subadults prefer estuaries and coastal lagoons, and the availability of these habitats can decide the quality of recruitment into the adult population. Such fish are migratory, at all ages, migrating along the shore or in r...

The clownfish The clown fish is among the few animals that can survive the sea anemone's fatal sting. This is done by the tiny orange-and-white fish by slathering themselves in anemone mucus so that the anemone embraces the fish as part of itself and allows the clown fish to live in their tentacles. The clown fish needs the defence of the toxins of the sea anemone as they are unable to swim very fast and are often eaten by predatory fish including barracudas and groupers. In their host anemone the clown fish is hardly ever seen. The clownfish and the anemone live in a mutualistic relationship. Through driving away butterfly fish and other anemone-eating fish, they get bits of food dropped by the clown fish and the aggressive and territorial clown fish defend their host. Author: Brenda Moita