Salema

Photo: the_knower · CC BY-NC

Dense shoals of salema sweep the geothermal reef in tight silver columns, grazing on the algae that proliferate in the nutrient-rich mineral water. The species is an important herbivore in Mediterranean posidonia ecosystems and its aggregations at Karaada reflect the high productivity of the site. Shoals can number in the hundreds and create dramatic visual curtains when viewed against the volcanic rock backdrop.