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- Courtesy of California Parks
- garabaldi and red sea urchin spines
Native to the subtropical and temperate Pacific Ocean, garibaldi are the largest of the damselfishes in the family, Pomacentridae. Although most other damselfishes are found in tropical waters, the garibaldi and blacksmith inhabit the subtropical waters of southern California and Baja California’s west coast. The common name, garibaldi, may have been based on the name of the Italian patriot, Giuseppe Garibaldi, whose army wore bright red shirts, or after the “garibaldi”, a woman’s red blouse worn in the 1890’s. The bright orange coloration of the garibaldi is the most distinctive of all fishes found on the California coast and they are sometimes erroneously called goldfish.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
California’s central coast from Monterey Bay to Magdalena Bay, Baja, Mexico. More common from Pt. Conception, California south, including the Channel Islands.
- Amazing Facts
The California State Legislature has designated the garibaldi as the state marine fish.
- At the Aquarium
We have a special permit issued by the California Department of Fish and Game to keep garibaldi, a protected fish in California. Their diet in our protected environment is a mixture of krill, fish, squid, and clams.
