Bizarre Fish Behaivor

[Koots]

I took the attached photo's in Coz last week. At the tail end of a swim through (can't remember which site) I saw these purple fish, upside-down, near the ceiling of the cave (no, I did not flip the photo's over). The same species of fish was also just outside the cave, and it was not upside-down.

What type of fish are these; and has anyone else witnessed this? Why do they do this?

 

[divetahoe]

I took the attached photo's in Coz last week. At the tail end of a swim through (can't remember which site) I saw these purple fish, upside-down, near the ceiling of the cave (no, I did not flip the photo's over). The same species of fish was also just outside the cave, and it was not upside-down.

What type of fish are these; and has anyone else witnessed this? Why do they do this?

Not sure on the fish ID, but I believe they are simply orienting their bodies positionally to the reef. They don't really conceptualize "up" or "down" per se, just that the body is to maintain a general physical orientation to the reef. As the fish move around in the cavern or swimthrough, they orient to the side walls and the floor. In a weightless world (which it is for the fishies) upside down is meaningless.

I am not a marine ecologist, just my reasoning.

 

[Dee]

Those are Blackcap Basslets.

 

[cjames]

Its not unusual to see Basslets and Dottybacks doing this when they are on the underside of the reef. Its pretty cool. I don't think this is something that all fish can do.

 

[LegoPacific]

That's normal, nothing wrong with those fish...

When I had an aquarium many of my fish were floating belly up.

 

[DeepBlueResort]

Hi all

If you see Fairey Basslets they will do the same, and i think the answer to why they do is, BECAUSE THEY CAN lol.

 

[Jon_Rhea]

When I had an aquarium many of my fish were floating belly up.

That's what happens when you forget to feed them!! :laugh: