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Hypsypops rubicundus
Garibaldi
(Also: Garibaldi damselfish)


By Brian Cooper

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacentridae
Genus: Hypsypops
Species: Hypsypops rubicundus

Geographic Range

Hypsypops rubicundus (common name: garibaldi) are primarily found off the coast of California. They have a home range from Monterey Bay down to the Baja California peninsula, and around the Channel Islands (Eschmeyer et al., 1983). (Eschmeyer, et al., 1983)

Biogeographic Regions
pacific ocean (Native )

Habitat

Range depth
35 (high) m
(114.83 (high) ft)

Unlike most other members of the damselfish family (Pomacentridae), H. rubicundus lives in cooler temperate waters as opposed to tropical reefs. Their habitats range from the shallow subtidal regions down to depths of approximately 100 feet. H. rubicundus occupies shallow rocky reefs near where the intertidal and subtidal zones meet. Here they swim in and around the kelp forests that are prevalent in this habitat. These kelp forests are a critical habitat element as they provide potential protection from predators, are a source of food for H. rubicundus, and are important for reproductive success (Allen and Robertson, 1994; Nelson, 1994). (Allen and Robertson, 1994)

Habitat Regions
temperate ; saltwater or marine

Aquatic Biomes
reef

Physical Description

Average length
30 cm
(11.81 in)

H. rubicundus is one of the brightest colored fishes off the southern California coast. Adults are bright orange and the fish gets its common name, garibaldi, from the 19th century Italian leader by the same name whose famous army wore flashy red/orange colors into battle. Juvenile H. rubicundus are distinctivly colored with iridescent blue colored spots along their pectoral and tail fins as well as their lateral lines. This coloration gradually fades as the young reach full maturity at around six inches (Allen, 1991; Sikkel, 1989; Neal, 1993).

Adults grow to a size of approximately 12-14 inches (28-34 cm). H. rubicundus is the largest member of the Pomacentridae (Allen and Robertson, 1994). (Allen and Robertson, 1994; Allen, 1991; Neal, 1993; Sikkel, 1989)

Other Physical Features
ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Reproduction

Mating System
polygynous

Breeding season
mid-March through July

Range number of offspring
15,000 to 80,000

H. rubicundus spawn from mid-March through July. Like other members of the Pomacentridae, it is the male’s responsibility to build and tend the nest. Unlike other members of the family however, the male H. rubicundus spends an inordinate amount of time and energy (approximately an entire month) cleaning and preparing an inviting algal mat more than an inch thick and as large as a tire in circumference. These algal mats are critical to breeding success as research has shown that females prefer to mate with those males which have done the best job of “farming” their mats.

Once a male is successful in attracting a female, he deposits his spermatozoa over her huge clutch of eggs (15,000-80,000). By depositing his sperm over such a large clutch of eggs, the male is able to somewhat conserve his energy expenditures when producing these sperm and is thus able to expend that energy in attracting females and protecting his offspring (Nelson, 1994; Sikkel, 1989). (Sikkel, 1989)

Key Reproductive Features
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous

The male tends the nest and aggressively protects the offspring from predation.

Parental Investment
male parental care

Lifespan/Longevity

Individuals live to upwards of 15 years in their natural environment. This lifespan is much reduced in a captive aquarium environment (Allen, 1991).

Behavior

One of the most interesting behaviors of H. rubicundus is its premating behavior. Once the male has created an inviting nest it must next attract a female with which to breed. The male will swim loops in and around its nest in a behavior called “dipping” in order to attract the female. This dipping behavior is often accompanied by a loud “thumping” noise. This noise is a function of the H. rubicundus grinding its pharyngeal teeth. These activities serve to both attract the female as well as highlight the male’s potential defensive prowess. The male’s energy expenditure also serves to ensure the female that he will expend a comparable amount of energy protecting the young brood.

There have been instances where divers have been bitten by male H. rubicundus aggressively defending their algal mats. No potential predator is too large when it comes to this fish's willingness to protect its eggs (Allen and Robertson, 1994; Sikkel, 1989).

Key Behaviors
motile ; territorial

Food Habits

H. rubicundus feeds primarily on small sessile sponges, bryozoans, and plankton that are found in and around the kelp forests that serve as its home (Allen, 1991; Eschmeyer et al., 1983). (Allen, 1991; Eschmeyer, et al., 1983)

Animal Foods
other marine invertebrates; zooplankton

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List [Link]
No special status

US Federal List [Link]
No special status

There has never been any significant sport fishing for H. rubicundus. However, recently there has been increasing pressure on the population from the commercial salt water aquarium trade.

Largely in response to these pressures, in 1995 H. rubicundus was adopted as the official marine fish of California. California law now protects the fish and prohibits taking for either sport or commercial purposes (Allen, 1991, Geobop, 2002).

For More Information

Find Hypsypops rubicundus information at

Contributors

William Fink (editor), University of Michigan.

Brian Cooper (author), University of Michigan.

References

Allen, G. 1991. Damselfishes of the world. Melle, Germany: Mergus Publishers.

Allen, G., D. Robertson. 1994. Fishes of the tropical eastern Pacific. Bathurst: Crawford House Press.

Author unknown, 2002. "California Geobopolocial Survey" (On-line). Accessed November 8, 2002 at http://www.geobop.com/World/NA/US/ca/Fish2.htm.

Eschmeyer, W., E. McFarland, J. Chess. 1983. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Neal, T. 1993. A test of the function of juvenile color patterns in the promacentrid fish *Hypsypops rubicundus*. Pac Sci., 47: 240-247.

Sikkel, P. 1989. Egg presence and development stage influence on spawning choice by female garibaldi. Animal Behavior, 38: 447-456.

To cite this page: Cooper, B. 2003. "Hypsypops rubicundus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 12, 2012 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hypsypops_rubicundus.html

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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