Beaubrummel (Juvenile)

Familia: Damiselas (Pomacentridae)
Tamaño: Hasta 10 cm (4 in)
Profundidad: 1 – 15m (3 – 50ft)

Distribución: Eastern Tropical Pacific (Gulf of California to Ecuador, including the Galapagos and Malpelo Islands).

Identificación: A tiny, brilliantly colored reef fish that completely changes its appearance as it ages.

• Neon Bicolor Body: Juveniles possess a striking split-color pattern: the upper front half of their body is a brilliant neon blue, while the lower rear half and tail are bright yellow.
• The "False Eye" Spot: Look for a prominent, large black spot (ocellus) ringed in neon blue on their dorsal fin, an evolutionary trick designed to confuse predators.
• Shape-Shifting Transformation: As they mature into adults, they completely lose these stunning neon colors, fading into a drab, dark brown territorial reef fish.

Comportamiento: Highly territorial bottom-dwellers, even at a young age.

• Rubble Hiders: Juvenile Beaubrummels are highly active but stay extremely close to the safety of the rocky substrate. In the shallow volcanic reefs of Bahia Solano, they dart rapidly in and out of tight crevices.
• Algae Farmers: Like most damselfish, they aggressively defend their small, personal algae patches from much larger grazing fish on the Chocó coast.