An occasion for celebration - Abudefduf caviar!
Check out this Parrotfish Eating Caviar underwater video taken at St. Kitts and Nevis during the Global Reef Expedition filming of coral reef creatures and other sea life.
At the edge of the reef terrace at Monkey Shoals, St. Kitts, several sergeant majors (Abudefduf saxatilis) had deposited their purple eggs, each patch forming a perfect circle, 15-20 cm in diameter. The fish vigorously defended these from predators, including Andy. He had placed his transect line a bit close to one territory, and the angry fish repeatedly nipped at his legs. It’s a good thing they are small! While most fish were chased away, one of the fish was unsuccessful in defending his nest; several medium-sized herbivorous parrotfish overwhelmed the fish and rapidly consumed the eggs. Mostly princess parrotfish, these species are supposed to eat algae. It must have been an occasion for celebration, as they couldn’t resist a luxury delicacy – Abudefduf caviar.
By Andy Bruckner.
