Today, we primarily focused on the afternoon snorkel expedition where we went off in pairs, and explored the reef near the hotel. In doing so, I encountered several different species we covered in class. Some of these included, butterfly fish: four-eyed, and banded, Parrotfish: both princess and spotlight in initial and terminal phases, blue tangs, French grunts, a group of juvenile French angelfish, and lastly, a lion fish. The lion fish was a perfect reference to the invasive species class lesson. Though my buddy and I did not observe it consuming any other fish, or disturbing the natural environment, it was interesting to see first hand what our lesson discussed. Lastly, though we did not particularly focus on this species in class, we observed several trigger fish along the reef. I found these particularly interesting because they displayed the idea of space as a limiting factor for a species. One trigger fish ventured into another’s territory, and the trigger fish who felt threatened lashed out and chased the intruder away in hopes to protect its home. This scene gives a small amount of insight on how there is not an endless amount of space for these creatures to call home, and in order to expand and repopulate, these fish need exactly that. Therefore, it could be assumed that if one trigger fish is superior to another, whether it be by age, genes, or species, the most aggressive will most likely have a higher chance of maintain territory, and spawning offspring.
Clark Brown
