Golden Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus)
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Male golden garibaldis are fiercely protective of their reef nests where females lay eggs. A tidier nest is more attractive, and the males compete with each other to attract the most females. One nest can contain the eggs of up to 20 females.
Size: Up to 14 inches long
Diet: Sponges, coelenterates, bryozoa, worms and nudibranchs
Distribution: They occur as far north as Monterey Bay but are especially common in the warmer waters of Southern California and the Channel Islands.
Did You Know?
![]() | In the 1840s, an Italian named Giuseppe Garibaldi decided to start wearing bright-red shirts as part of his personal style. He went on to fight for the reunification of Italy, became a general and died a national hero. So when biologists discovered a brilliant red-orange fish cruising the rocky reefs of California — one that sallied out to bare its teeth at any intruder — they knew exactly what to name it. Animal facts courtesy of the BBC and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Explore more at www.montereybayaquarium.org. |

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