Courtship and reproduction

Courtship

Courting Yellowmargin Triggerfish (Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus) at New dropoff, Koror, Republic of Palau.

Nest Building

A Yellowmargin Triggerfish (Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus) guarding a partially prepared nest consisting of a large depression in the seabed filled with large pieces of coral rubble while numberous Spotted Garden Eels (Heteroconger hassi) look on in Ulong Channel, Koror, Republic of Palau.

Spawning Bumphead Parrotfish

Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) in the act of spawning at Koror, Republic of Palau.

Aggregating Bumphead Parrotfish

Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) aggregating at dawn to spawn at Koror, Republic of Palau.

Gamete clouds

Clouds of eggs and sperm hang in the water column above Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) during spawning. One spawning group is descending at the laft. two spawning groups ascending at the right. At the spawning site in Koror, republic of Palau.

Spawning ascent

Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) ascending at dawn to spawn at Koror, Republic of Palau.

Mass spawning

The underwater photographer at left provides some scale for the size of this Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) spawning population at Koror, Republic of Palau.

Hawaiian Dascyllus courtship

A Hawaiian Dascyllus (Dascyllus albisell) pair courting off Niihau, Hawaii.

Hawaiian Dascyllus courtship

A Hawaiian Dascyllus (Dascyllus albisell) pair courting off Niihau, Hawaii.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Two courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Two Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with erect spinous dorsal fins photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. Each was circling above his prepared spawning suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawninga small sandy area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning sandy area suggesting that this is a courtship display.

Courting male Bluegill Triggerfish

Male Bluegill Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) with an erect spinous dorsal fin photographed under water off Maui, Hawaii, USA. He was circling above his prepared spawning area suggesting that this is a courtship display.