tiny weeny blue fish

[Timbo]

I think Gaynor told me that they were baby damsels!
I thought that they were Neons like you see in the pet shop!!
Message her, she's a bit good at thissort of thing!!

[Gaynor]

They are Chromis chromis, i.e. Mediterranean Damselfish, which only retain a little of the neon blue around the dorsal area as they grow into adults. There are loads of them here on the Costa Brava, where I do marine research with dive volunteers (fish surveys, etc).
The Damselfish keep on breeding right through the summer, so we see them at different stages in their development.

Gaynor
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[Gaynor]

I've uploaded a photo into my gallery so that you can ID them for certain.

Gaynor
Home

[purple vonny]

OK, I was very very wrong. The tiny blue fish, which are now everywhere like fleas of the sea, are, in fact juveniles!!!! We are pretty sure they are damsel fish, as they are getting older they are turning brown and blue and they are big enough now torecognise that they are the same shape as their black elders.

Sorry for being thick and thanks for help in identifying them.
xxxxxxx

[londonsean69]

Originally Posted by purple vonny

OK, I was very very wrong. The tiny blue fish, which are now everywhere like fleas of the sea, are, in fact juveniles!!!! We are pretty sure they are damsel fish, as they are getting older they are turning brown and blue and they are big enough now torecognise that they are the same shape as their black elders.

I had big aurguments with the boss about this, he said they were 2 diff species, but it turned out they are infact Bluefin Damselfish, Juveniles.

We have loads here at the moment, and the training bay is absolutely full of black spot bream fry, you can see the spot developing already, and they are only 1/2" long!!

[Fiji Dave]

It's often surprising just how different the juveniles of a species can be to the adult form. Shape/size/colour/fins/behaviour can all be at complete odds with that shown in the adult

Just a few examples - just to show how different they can be...

Harlequin Sweetlips
Harlequin Sweetlips, Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides
and
http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishguide/15814.html

The juvenile can be tiny, just a few cm's long and looks a bit like a flamenco-dancing brown&white cow. The adult is a great big spotty thing with big fat lips.


Juv Emperor Angelfish
^Emperor Angelfish, Pomacanthus imperator - juvenile

Adult Emperor Angelfish
Emperor angelfish, Pomacanthus imperator


and last one - before I turn into a complete fish-geek

Bicolour Parrotfish
http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishguide/15796.html

[purple vonny]

What a nice educational site! Note to self - must brush up on fish ID.

Strange that something so small and so vulnerable should be so visible to bigger fish that will eat them.

People say diving in the med is boring but each month brings something new to our familiar dive sites. In April we saw cuttlefish everywhere, then octopus galore. Recently, we have seen thousands of anchovies on shore dives and "nurseries" of fry everywhere. It is great to see them growing and changing.

[Fiji Dave]

Originally Posted by purple vonny

What a nice educational site! Note to self - must brush up on fish ID.

Strange that something so small and so vulnerable should be so visible to bigger fish that will eat them.

People say diving in the med is boring but each month brings something new to our familiar dive sites. In April we saw cuttlefish everywhere, then octopus galore. Recently, we have seen thousands of anchovies on shore dives and "nurseries" of fry everywhere. It is great to see them growing and changing.

I don't know if it's the case with chromis, but certainly some fish (and many other creatures) may be poisonous and will advertise the fact with nice bright colours, sort of like a "don't bother - I really don't taste good" warning. Think of those tiny poison arrow frogs - REALLY bright colours, but you wouldn't want to eat one! Other species often mimic that, so they may not be poisonous themselves, but fool predators into thinking they are. But as I say, I don't know if it's the case with chromis.

One of the nice things about staying in one spot and diving repeatedly in the same area is that you do see things change over the year.

[Gaynor]

Originally Posted by Fiji Dave

I don't know if it's the case with chromis, but certainly some fish (and many other creatures) may be poisonous and will advertise the fact with nice bright colours, sort of like a "don't bother - I really don't taste good" warning. Think of those tiny poison arrow frogs - REALLY bright colours, but you wouldn't want to eat one! Other species often mimic that, so they may not be poisonous themselves, but fool predators into thinking they are. But as I say, I don't know if it's the case with chromis.

One of the nice things about staying in one spot and diving repeatedly in the same area is that you do see things change over the year.

Do you happen to know any good websites for Med species?
I have done extensive internet searches to ID a particular blenny without success. Unfortunately I haven't got a photo of this guy yet. He's about 6 cms long, black all over except for a turquoise blue spot on the dorsal fin, and has tentacles.

[Fiji Dave]

Originally Posted by Gaynor

Do you happen to know any good websites for Med species?
I have done extensive internet searches to ID a particular blenny without success. Unfortunately I haven't got a photo of this guy yet. He's about 6 cms long, black all over except for a turquoise blue spot on the dorsal fin, and has tentacles.

Tentacles? Was it a blenny eating an octopus!

I'm not sure on mediterranean fish id sites I'm afraid. fishbase.org is quite good though and may be of some help.