Canary damselfish

Photo: anachicharo · CC BY-NC

The Canary damselfish is an Azores and Canary Islands endemic that is the most abundant small reef fish at Baixo do Sul, aggressively defending patches of filamentous algae that it cultivates as a food farm on the basalt substrate. Despite being less than 15 cm long, these fish will charge and bite far larger intruders — including divers — that enter their territory. Their endemic status makes the health of Azorean rocky reefs directly tied to the conservation of this species.