Some take comfort in their bold appearance
But others take shelter in the coral
Such as these sedentary and appropriately named Christmas tree worms
Filtering food from the gentle currents
For many
Entire lives are played out within the clumps of coral
Mandarin fish
A dozen of them may inhabit one outcrop
Males are always on the hunt for a mate
And competition is fierce
Disputes start with a polite warning
The rising dorsal fin is a clear signal to back off
But sometimes going for the jugular is the only way
The fight over it's time to get down to business
Spawning is a brief affair
Then the eggs are left to the mercy of the current
