This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 at 4:17 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, Information, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy Dr. Randall; Birds By John Gerrard Keulemans
The ancient Hawaiians gave this fish the name mamo, which is the same name as a Hawaiian honeycreeper bird that had black feathers and yellow above and below the tail. The bird was a highly prized one used in the choicest featherwork. The fish was an important food item and was eaten raw, salted and dried, or cooked in a myriad of ways. The Hawaiian Sergeant is plentiful in Hawaiian waters and can be seen almost anywhere. When snorkeling out at Molokini, you are most certain to see this cute little face hanging out with friends and curiously peering back at you.
The mamo is in the damselfish family and lives usually in shallow water on coral reefs or rocky substrata. Most species feed heavily on algae and are very territorial. It is really interesting to note they will ‘weed’ their territories of undersirable algae, according to Dr. Randall. Some species of damselfish also feed on zooplankton and may be seen in small schools. One species will feed on coral polyps. It is the protective males that will guard the eggs until they hatch.
The damselfish family is one of the most abundant of reef fish in Hawaii. How wonderful to know that someone is doing so well! They have a small mouth, and according to Dr. Randall, their teeth are conical or incisiform. In juvenile form, like with many types of fish, they are more brightly colored than the adults and males generally will show a different pattern of color at spawning time. Other types of damselfish will be discussed in future postings. When you come to Hawaii, you will not have any trouble locating these cute little ones. Let’s get wet!
