Dascyllus Aruanus (Humbug of the Sea)

Words and music by David. Originally written on February 13, 2006 for a species list presentation at Heron Island. This version was recorded live on a single mic in Brisbane, Australia.



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Verse 1
Let’s take a walk down the family tree of my species
Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Osteichthyes, sub class Actinopterygii
And we come to our friend, the Three-striped Damselfish

Chorus
Dascyllus aruanus, the humbug of the sea
With your three black stripes and your bright white tail
And your love of territory

Verse 2
The Dascyllus is a damsel-fish, a particle feeder like the rest
Known as the Humbug Dascyllus or the Three-striped Damsel
It was found in coral near the wall and all throughout the harbor
Easy to spot with three wide black stripes and a shining bright-white tail

Verse 3
When it comes to reproduction, the story’s not too hard
Eggs laid upon the ground with later fertilization
In three days the larvae hatch and rise to live up with the plankton
Then four weeks later, the Dascyllus settles down

Verse 4
The defining characteristic of the Dascyllus
Is found in its territorial nature
It restricts its movements to one home-base coral colony
If it sees another three-striped damsel, it’ll kick him out