"Huh? There are so many sea urchins here, and even an underwater farmer?"
The term "sea farmer" refers to fish of the damselfish family. One particular species of damselfish has earned this reputation because of its unique way of life.
This involves cultivating seaweed on the seabed as their food source and carefully protecting these fruits of their labor, driving away any creatures that might steal them.
The family Pomacentridae comprises 21 genera and 199 species.
Among them, the high-flying damselfish and the black-rimmed damselfish are the best, and are regarded as "farming experts".
Except for a few temperate species, fish in the Pomacentridae family can grow up to 30 cm in length and have economic value.
The remaining species are all between 10 and 15 centimeters in length, and therefore have little edible value.
However, a few brightly colored fish species can be kept as ornamental fish in saltwater aquariums.
Moreover, they are among the easier types of marine ornamental fish to keep, and some are even considered "beginner fish," making them the first choice for those new to marine ornamental fish.
Anemonefish is the most popular among them.
The scientific name for anemonefish is *Pteranodon tribandensis*, a fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae and the genus *Pteranodon*, commonly known as clownfish. However, the term "clownfish" does not refer solely to anemonefish; it encompasses all species within the genera *Pteranodon* and *Pteranodon* of the family Pomacentridae.
Clownfish have brightly colored bodies, mostly red or orange-red; except for the transparent pectoral fins and soft dorsal fin rays, all other fins are black.
It gets its name from the two or three white stripes on its body, which resemble the clowns in Peking Opera.
Feng Ye couldn't identify the specific species of damselfish in front of him.
There are just too many types of damselfish, and many of their names are quite difficult to pronounce.
But it is definitely a damselfish, and he is quite certain that he has not made a mistake.
The group of colorful, unidentified damselfish were quite wary and did not swim too close, only hovering a few meters away.
Feng Ye smiled slightly, hooked down a sea urchin, and caught it directly in his hand instead of letting it fall into the net.
Then, with the other hand, he tapped the sea urchin twice with the small hook, and the sea urchin split in two.
The group of damselfish, like cats attracted by a fishy smell, all swam over in an instant.
They all lost their guard and circled around his hand holding the sea urchin, vying to peck at the urchin's roe.
Looking at the little fish, Feng Ye felt a surge of inexplicable joy.
It's a pity I didn't bring a small net with me, otherwise it would have been nice to catch a few and raise them at home. I'm sure my son would like them.
Although I don't have a professional saltwater tank at home, any container will do if I want to entertain myself.
There's no chance today; there's no time to come down again.
I might consider bringing a small landing net with me when I go out to sea tomorrow, and catch some pretty little fish to take home.
Buying a professional saltwater tank is out of the question; Ye Qingling would never agree to that. But they could consider making a saltwater pool instead…
As he thought about it, he continued to crack open the sea urchins, letting these little creatures enjoy a sumptuous meal.
Anyway, there are plenty of sea urchins, so I don't care if they eat some.
After feeding the group of damselfish with more than ten sea urchins, Feng Ye stopped and continued to focus on catching sea urchins.
The group of damselfish seemed to have had enough and kept swimming around him.
It wasn't until quite a while later that they reluctantly swam away, turning back every few steps.
After swimming a distance, they turned back, circled him once, and continued swimming further away.
After this happened several times in a row, Feng Ye was completely baffled and had no idea what they meant.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered some legends about damselfish.
It is said that damselfish are "traitors" among marine fish, leading humans to search for sea urchins.
The reason behind this behavior is mainly due to the long-standing feud between damselfish and sea urchins.
Damselfish see sea urchins as their natural enemy, and they eliminate their predator by guiding humans to dig for sea urchins.
"Judging from this, are these damselfish trying to lead me to their territory to catch sea urchins?"
Feng Ye thought about it carefully and felt that it was possible.
So he decided to follow the group of damselfish to see what was going on.
Even if the guess is wrong, it doesn't matter; it will only take a few minutes.
Holding onto the net and swinging his flippers, he followed.
When the damselfish saw that he had followed, they didn't turn back. Instead, they kept moving forward, leading him to the seabed they had never set foot in before.
"That's true."
Feng Ye was secretly amazed.
Although damselfish have small heads, their intelligence is not to be underestimated!
He followed closely behind the damselfish, his heart filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Where exactly will I be taken?
After swimming underwater for almost ten minutes, a huge, colorful coral reef appeared before us. The beautiful coral reef finally brought the group of damselfish to a stop, darting back and forth among the coral, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden.
Coral reefs are formed by the accumulation of calcareous skeletons secreted by coral polyps. They live in symbiosis with algae, together creating a vast ecosystem.
Coral reef ecosystems are known as "rainforests of the ocean" and are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.
Tens of thousands of creatures live here, including various fish, shellfish, seaweed, and seagrass, forming a complex food chain.
"Is this beautiful coral reef their destination?"
Feng Ye muttered to himself as he swam over, carefully examining the enormous coral reef.
This coral reef is like an underwater garden, vibrant with color and teeming with life.
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