Chocolate dip on coral reef May 22 2008
Not many divers get to see this small reef at Sodwana Bay, part of South Africa’s Isimangaliso Wetland Park, because its uniform coral (Plasticeris) is so fragile.
The lettuce-like folds of coral provide a sanctuary for small fish like the chocolate dip (Chromis dimidiata). As the name suggests, the first two-thirds of this fish’s body is chocolate brown to black, while the remaining third is pale cream to white. These little members of the damselfish family feed on tiny organisms called zooplankton.
You can see the chocolate dip and other small fish species – as well as the world’s largest fish species, a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) – in the Earth-Touch clip, Delicate coral on tiny reef.
Image © Earth-Touch 2008
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