California Garibaldi

Kingdom: Animalia

• rely on other organisms for nourishment
• ingest and digest food in their stomach

Phylum: Chordata

• have bilaterally symmetrical bodies
• members have a head, tail and digestive system with openings at both sides of the body
• at some point of the life cycle they have a pair of gill slits or pouches used to obtain oxygen in a liquid environment

Class:

Order: Perfciformes

Family: Pomacentridae

Genius: Hypsypops

• found along costal reefs and in kelp forests

Species: Rubicundus

• very territorial
• mates for life 

The Garibaldi lives along coastal reefs and in Kelp Forests.  It can swim in depths as deep as 95 feet.  Garibaldi eat algae and they also make their nests out of it. The Garibaldi is very territorial and it mates for life.

Gliding through the blue water,

The Garibaldi is radiant.

It stands out among the other fish,

Unique in every way.

The Garibaldi is swift, fast and confident.

Strong, though small in size.

So many wonderful things about it,

Though it is just one fish in a vast ocean of life.

References:

Picture: Garibaldi www. planeta.terra.com  January 10, 2001

Information: Golden State Images www.goldenstateimages.com January 9, 2001