Everything you need to know about these dazzling farmers of the coral reefs
Q: How do they swim?
A: They use their pectoral fins and have a continuous dorsal fin with a forked or crescent-shaped tail.
Q: What do damselfish eat?
A: Micro-crustaceans, algae, and plankton.
Q: Where do they live?
A: Mostly in tropical coral reefs, occasionally in brackish water, and rarely in freshwater.
Q: How do damselfish court mates?
A: Males guard territories and display by swimming upwards swiftly while making sounds. Females choose males that call more frequently.
Q: What makes damselfish “farmers”?
A: Some species maintain “algae farms” by weeding out unwanted algae species and defending their farm from other herbivores. They also rear shrimp that benefit their algae farms.
About the contributors
Diviya Mehra
is a graphic designer. She was the former art director of National Geographic Traveller. Her love for animals, travel and design has shaped her career through the years.
View Profile
Wenzel Pinto
is a marine biologist at the Nature Conservation Foundation and is currently working on reef dynamics and island vulnerability in the Lakshadweep archipelago.
Related Content
Fishy Quandary: A Nexus of Livelihoods and Native Fish
Without healthy freshwater ecosystems, there is neither hope for indigenous fish species nor humankind
Boxfish: Facts, Diet, Habitat
All you need to know about these toxin-secreting box-shaped fish
Traditional Fishers Livelihood in Odisha Threatened by Illegal Fish Poisoning
Fishers in the riverine villages of Kendrapara district claim that poisoning of fishes to catch them easily has been a rampant illegal activity for over a decade
Damselfish: The Farmers of the Reef
Colourful and charismatic and with elaborate courtship rituals, damselfish protect their territories fiercely, defending small patches of turf algae as they farm and cultivate them meticulously