What Are These Fish Doing?

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Deep C

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Messages
3
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Location
South Africa
# of dives
1000 - 2499
strange.jpg
See attached photo.

I came across these fish resting with their heads against a rock. They were both in an almost vertical head down posture and each had a pectoral fin out for support. They were not exhibiting any hunting, feeding, or cleaning type behaviour, in fact they were completely motionless. Could it be some nesting behaviour related to the guarding or tending of eggs?

I got quite close and had other divers around me too. The noise from my exhalation eventually frightened one of the fish away, but it returned shortly afterwards, so there was definitely something drawing it back. After watching them for several minutes I swam away, leaving them in this strange position.

Does anyone have an idea of what they were doing?
 
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Waiting for lunch to crawl out from under that rock?
 
what time was it ?........perhaps getting ready for night protection / sleep patterns..
 
Yoga. That is the piscine version of Downward-facing Dog. Pretty sure about that... ;-)
 
I have seen fish behaving in a similar manner both in cleaning stations and for sleeping/resting. Time of day and any information about what the seas had been like prior might be informative.
 
It was around 1pm (lunch time?) but I don't believe their behaviour was related to feeding or cleaning. Most likely to do with tending eggs. Seas were calm and warm for several days.
 
Hmmm... and the location? @drbill Do you know what is happening here?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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