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Related FAQs: Damsels, Damsels
2, Damsel Identification,
Damsel Systems,
Damsel Selection, Damsel
Compatibility, Damsel Behavior,
Damsel Systems,
Damsel Feeding, Damsel
Disease, Damsel Disease 2, Damsel Reproduction,
Related Articles: Damselfish,
Clownfishes, Abudefduf,
Amblyglyphidodon, Chromis,
Chrysiptera, Dascyllus. Dischistodus, Giant Damsels, Garibaldi,
Microspathodon, Neoglyphidodon,
Neopomacentrus, Plectroglyphidodon, Pomacentrus,
Stegastes,
Regional Accounts:
Clownfishes of Indonesia,
/Fishwatcher's Guide
Series
Indonesian Damselfishes, Family Pomacentridae
(Sans Clownfishes)
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by Bob Fenner
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Genus Abudefduf:
| Abudefduf septemfasciatus (Cuvier 1830), the Banded
Sergeant. Indo-Pacific in surge zones. To nine inches long in the wild.
Only occasionally imported for our interests. This one in the Seychelles,
Indian Ocean. |
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| Abudefduf sexfasciatus (Lacepede 1801), the
Scissor-Tail Sergeant. Found all over the Indo-Pacific, but not Hawai'i.
Not as hardy in captivity as other Abudefduf species. To five inches long.
Fiji and N. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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| Abudefduf sordidus (Forsskal 1775), The Black-Spot
Sergeant or Dirty Damsel. Indo-Pacific, including Hawai'i. Lives in high
surge areas. To almost seven inches in length. Only occasionally imported
as a pet-fish. These images from the Maldives and Hawai'i. |
 
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| Abudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard 1825), the
Indo-Pacific Sergeant Major. Eastern coast of Africa and Red Sea, out to the Line and Tuamotu Islands. To six
inches long. Fourth black body bar originates after hard dorsal fin. Here
in the Red Sea and Northern Sulawesi. |
 
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Genus Acanthochromis:
| Acanthochromis polyacanthus (Bleeker 1855), the Spiny
Chromis (only member of the genus). Indo-Australian; inshore and off-shore
reefs. Notably the only species of Pomacentrid that instead of having pelagic larval development, spawns, rears its young cichlid-fashion.
Australian images of a parent and young. |
 
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Genus Amblypomacentrus:
| Amblypomacentrus breviceps (Schlegel & Muller
1839), the Black-Banded Demoseille. Indo-Australian Archipelago;
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, Solomons. To 5.5 cm. Found on
sand, silt bottoms in association with sponges, small patches of cnidarian
life. N. Sulawesi pic. |
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Genus Amblyglyphidodon
| Amblyglyphidodon
aureus (Cuvier 1830), the Golden Damselfish. This gorgeous yellow-gold damsel is found throughout the Indo-West
Pacific, the Andaman Sea, eastern Indian Ocean to Fiji, throughout Micronesia.
The Golden Damsel is mostly found in settings of vertical reef walls amongst
corals and gorgonians. The species feeds almost exclusively on zooplankton. A
juvenile and adult in Bunaken, Sulawesi,
Indonesia, the latter a more mature, less golden specimen and one off of Pulau Redang,
Malaysia. |
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Amblyglyphidodon batunai Allen, 1995.
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No pic |
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Amblyglyphidodon curacao (Bloch
1787), the Staghorn Damselfish. From a distance the Staghorn Damsel looks like a gussied-up Sergeant Major (Abudefduf)
species… with more yellow surrounding its vertical body bars, greater
reflectance and a taller/thinner, more stately overall shape and
demeanor. This species distribution masks much of the Golden congeners…
widely spread in the Indo-West Pacific, Malaysia to Japan, south to
Australia’s GBR, and throughout Micronesia. The Staghorn Damsel is found
in lagoons to outer reefs, often amongst soft and Acroporid (Staghorn)
corals, feeding on zooplankton and filamentous algae. This one in Fiji,
another in N. Sulawesi
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Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster (Bleeker
1847), the White- or Yellowbelly Damselfish. Quite variable in appearance, as evidenced in its multiple common names, the
Yellow/Whitebelly Damsel may well be two distinct species… The Indo-West
Pacific (Melanesia, Micronesia, Ryukyus to the GBR) form separate from the
eastern Africa into Red Sea one. Both are beautiful and aquarium-desirable
varieties, found on reef slopes, passages and lagoons. This species too is a
generalized zooplanktivore, feeding on crustaceans (copepods, mysids, amphipods,
other crustacean larvae), fish eggs, and some algae. Fiji specimen at right.
Below, left to right: from the Red Sea, Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia,
and the Maldives. |
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Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis (Bleeker, 1853), the Ternate Damsel.
Western Pacific. To four inches in length. |
No pic |
Genus Chromis:
| Chromis alpha Randall 1988, the Yellow-Speckled
Chromis. Western and central southern Pacific, plus eastern Indian Ocean.
To about three inches in length. A touchier species that rarely makes its
way into the hobby, mainly from Fiji. One in Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia,
another in Fiji. |
 
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| Chromis amboinensis (Bleeker 1873), the Ambon
Chromis. West-central Pacific; Cocos-Keeling Islands to Samoa and the
Marshall Islands. To three inches in length. This one off of Queensland,
Australia. |
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| Chromis analis (Cuvier 1830), Yellow Chromis. To 17
cm. in length. Western Pacific; Japan, Australia, Fiji. One in
Fiji, another in N. Sulawesi. |
 
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| Chromis atripectoralis Welander & Schultz 1951,
the Black-Axil Chromis. Very similar to the oh-so-common Blue Chromis, C.
viridis, but distinguished by a prominent black blotch at their insertion
to the pectoral fins. Indo-Pacific but not Hawai'i. This specimen in
Australian waters. To four and a half inches in length. |
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| Chromis caudalis Randall 1988, the Dusky Chromis.
Eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. To three inches in length.
Mainly imported from the Marshalls and Indonesia. A hardy species if
shipped properly and not nicked. This one in Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia. |
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| Chromis dimidiata (Klunzinger 1871), the Two-tone
Chromis. Indian Ocean and Red Sea (origin of this image). To two inches
overall length. A more common offering in European pet-fish markets. Red
Sea image. |
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| Chromis margaritifer Fowler 1926, the Bicolor Chromis.
Indo-Pacific. To three and a half inches in length. This one odd of Pulau
Redang, Malaysia. |
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| Chromis retrofasciata Weber 1913, the Blackbar
Chromis. Western Pacific; Indonesia to Fiji to the Ryukyus and New
Caledonia. To two inches in length. N. Sulawesi pic. |
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| Chromis viridis (Cuvier 1830), the Blue-Green Chromis.
Widespread in the Indo-Pacific and in marine and reef aquarium usage. The
darling damsel of reefkeepers. To three inches maximum length. Formerly
(and often still) identified as Chromis cyanea. One of many in
Australia, and a grouping in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas, Polynesia. |
 
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| Chromis weberi Fowler & Bean 1928, Weber's
Chromis. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa to Micronesia. To 13.5 cm. in
length. Found singly or in groups at tops of steep reef edges. Red Sea
image. |
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Genus Chrysiptera:
| Chrysiptera biocellata (Quoy & Gaimard 1825), the
Twinspot Damsel, Twospot Demoiselle... Indo-west Pacific, Africa's east
coast out to Samoa. To three inches in length. Offered in the trade from
time to time. Can be feisty toward other tankmates... should be kept with
tough fishes only. Pictured is an adult (2") in the Maldives. |
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| Chrysiptera bleekeri (Fowler & Bean 1928),
Bleeker's Damsel. Western Central Pacific; Timor, Flores (and this report
of Lombok), Indonesia and the Philippines. To about three inches in
length. Photos made off of Gili Air and N. Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
 
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| Chrysiptera cyanea (Quoy & Gaimard 1825), the
Blue Devil/Damsel. Likely the most commonly used member of the Damsel
family by the aquarium interest. Western Pacific over to the bare eastern
edge of the Indian Ocean. To two and a half inches in length.
Variably blue with some orange yellow on fins. Aquarium specimens shown
below. |
| Chrysiptera hemicyanea (Weber 1913), the Azure
Demoiselle. 7 cm.. Indo-West Pacific; Eastern Indian Ocean, Indonesia. Aquarium
image. |
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| Chrysiptera parasema (Fowler 1918), the Yellow-Tail
Blue Damsel. Contending for first place as "most used member of the
family of Damselfishes". From the western Pacific. To two and a half
inches. Hardy and relatively easygoing. One in an aquarium, another
in N. Sulawesi by RMF and another aquarium shot by Hiroyuki Tanaka. |
| Chrysiptera rollandi (Whitley 1961), Rolland's Demoiselle. Indo-Australia Archipelago. To a mere one and three quarters
inch in length. In Pulau Redang, Malaysia, and N. Sulawesi. |
 
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| Chrysiptera talboti (Allen 1975), Talbot's Damsel.
Indo-West Pacific. To about two inches maximum length. A great little
Damsel for reef aquariums. Regularly
collected for the ornamental trade in Fiji. Australian, Fiji and N.
Sulawesi images. |
| Chrysiptera unimaculata (Cuvier 1830), the One spot
Demoiselle. Indo-west Pacific, Red Sea. Highly variable in markings, color,
from east coast of Africa to Fiji. This juvenile and sub-adult in the
Maldives. To three inches overall in length. Imported as juveniles that turn
overall brownish with age. |
 
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Genus Dascyllus:
| Dascyllus aruanus (Linnaeus
1758), the Whitetail Dascyllus to science, more commonly called the
Three-Striped Damsel to aquarists. Indo-west Pacific: Red Sea, Africa's
eastern coast to the Tuamotus in the Pacific. To four inches. Aquarium and
Red Sea photos. |
 
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| Dascyllus carneus Fischer
1885, the Cloudy Damsel. Widespread in the Indian Ocean. Occasionally
offered in the aquarium trade. To two and a half inches in length. Lives
around branching corals. Adult and juv.s in N. Sulawesi (Lembeh
Strait). |
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| Dascyllus melanurus Bleeker
1854, the Four-Stripe Damsel or Blacktail Humbug. Indo-Australian
Archipelago. To three inches overall length. Typically found about isolated
coral heads. |
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| Dascyllus reticulatus (Richardson 1846), the
Reticulate Dascyllus. East Indian Ocean, west Pacific. To three and a half
inches in length. A specimen in Australia, and in S. Sulawesi. |
 
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| Dascyllus trimaculatus
(Ruppell 1829), the Three-Spot Damsel or Domino. Indo-west Pacific. To
five and a half inches in length. Lives on coral and rocky reefs.... and
so feisty, it bites the hands of the aquarists who feed it! Three color
varieties shown below and a group of juveniles in association with an
anemone in Mabul, Malaysia and Ras Mohamed, Egypt's Red Sea at right. |
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Genus Dischistodus:
| Dischistodus melanotus (Bleeker 1858), the Black-Vent
Damsel. Western Pacific distribution (this one in Indonesia). To five
inches overall length. |
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| Dischistodus perspicillatus (Cuvier 1830), the White
Damsel. Indo-West Pacific. To six inches in length. This one off of Pulau
Redang, Malaysia. |
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| Dischistodus prosopotaenia (Bleeker 1852), the
Honey-Head Damsel. Indo-West Pacific. To six inches in length. A juvenile in Heron Island waters, GBR,
Australia, an intermediate size one and five inch adult (that bit me!) in
N. Sulawesi (so I took its picture). |
Genus Neoglyphidodon:
| Neoglyphidodon crossi Allen 1991, Cross' Damsel.
Indo-Malayan Archipelago: known only from Sulawesi and the Molucca
Islands. To four inches. Aquarium image |
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| Neoglyphidodon nigroris (Cuvier 1830), Behn's Damsel.
Western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. To three and a half inches in
length. The bright yellow and two horizontal black band juveniles are used
quite often in the trade. Here's a juvenile off Heron Island, Australia. and
subadult in
Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia. |
| Neoglyphidodon oxyodon (Bleeker 1858), the most
commonly named "Jewel Damsel" in the aquarium interest is called
the Javanese Damsel to science. Indo-Australian Archipelago. To six inches
total length, and a tough customer nearing larger size. |
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Genus Neopomacentrus:
Genus Plectroglyphidodon:
| Plectroglyphidodon dickii (Lienard 1839), the
Blackbar Devil. To four or so inches in length. Indo-Pacific; East Africa
to the Tuamotus. This one in Fiji. Associated with Acropora, Pocillopora
spp. corals. Feeds on filamentous algae, benthic crustaceans, small
fishes. |
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| Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus (Fowler & Ball
1924), the Johnston Island Damsel. Despite its common name this species is
found in the Indo-Pacific, eastern Africa to Hawai'i (where this image is
from). To two and a half inches long. |
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| Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus (Quoy & Gaimard
1825), the Jewel Damsel, Whitespotted Devil. Indo-west Pacific, eastern
Africa and Red Sea to the Society Islands. One in Fiji, another in N.
Sulawesi. |
 
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Genus Pomacentrus:
| Pomacentrus alleni Burgess 1981, Allen's or
Andaman Damselfish. Andaman Sea, the Similans off of Thailand. A hardy
beauty that grows to a maximum of two inches and does well living
solitarily. This one in a reef aquarium by itself. |
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| Pomacentrus auriventris Allen 1991, the Yellow-belly
or Goldbelly Damsel. Indo-Malay Peninsula, Caroline Islands. To 5.5 cm.
Found near bottom, principally about rubble slopes. N. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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| Pomacentrus caeruleus
Quoy & Gaimard 1825, the Caerulean Damsel. Western Indian Ocean, eastern
Africa to the Maldives. To four inches maximum. A Damselfish beauty that
deserves to be imported much more frequently. This one in the Maldives. |
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| Pomacentrus chrysurus
Cuvier 1830, the Whitetail Damsel. Indo-west Pacific. To about three inches
in length. A better looking individual, with a broad yellow dorsal band and
ocellus, the adults (pictured) are overall slate colored with a white tail.
Maldives image. |
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| Pomacentrus coelestis Jordan & Starks 1901, one
of the Neon Damsels. To three and a half inches in length. Widespread in
the Indo-Pacific, and a common import. This is a feisty damselfish
species, best kept as the only Damsel type in a tank, and allowing a
good fifteen gallons plus per specimen. An alpha male in the Cooks, one
in Fiji. |
 
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| Pomacentrus moluccensis (Bleeker 1853), the Lemon
Damsel. Eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. To two inches in
length. This little beauty is occasionally imported from Fiji (where the
first picture was taken), Tonga and Vanuatu. Second image, Heron Island,
Australia. Third, N. Sulawesi. |
| Pomacentrus nigromanus Weber 1913, the Goldback
Damsel. Western Central Pacific. To 9 cm. This one in S. Sulawesi. |
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| Pomacentrus pavo
(Bloch 1787), the Sapphire or Peacock Damsel. Indo-Pacific. To three inches
in length. A hardy beauty for peaceful all-fish as well as reef tanks. Can
be kept singly. This one photographed in the Maldives. |
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| Pomacentrus philippinus
(Evermann & Seale 1907), the Philippine Damsel. Western Pacific and
eastern Indian Oceans. Variable in amount of yellow coloring by vicinity. To
three inches in length. One in the Maldives where only their tails are
yellow, and another in Mabul, Malaysia. |
 
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| Pomacentrus reidi Fowler & Bean 1928, Reid's
Damsel. Indo-Australian; Philippines, Celebes, Australia, Solomon's. To 9
cm. Found on steep, outer reef slopes, typically solitarily. N. Sulawesi
pix. |
 
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| Pomacentrus vaiuli Jordan & Seale 1906, the Ocellated
Damselfish. Western Pacific to Eastern Indian Ocean. To four inches in
length, and as territorial as the genus comes... hangs out on its patch
of Acroporid coral in the wild, and best kept this way with plenty of
room (at least twenty gallons to each) in captivity. Juveniles in
the Cooks and N. Sulawesi shown (bottom one a half inch long), and one
mid-age in
Fiji. Color variable, some with a yellowish dorsal region grading
to blue. |
Genus Stegastes:
| Stegastes fasciolatus (Ogilby 1889), the Pacific
Gregory. Indo-west Pacific. Not a great beauty and at up to six inches in
length, a handful. But an interesting, intelligent addition to a rougher
aquarium setting. These images younger to older individuals in
Hawai'i. |
Bibliography/Further Reading:
Allen, Gerald R. 1975. Damselfishes of the
South Seas. TFH Publications, Neptune City, N.J.
Allen, Gerald R. 1976. How many sergeant
majors? Marine Aquarist 7(6):76.
Allen, Gerald R. 1991. Damselfishes of the
World. Aquarium Systems, Mentor, Ohio.
American Society of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists, 1978. The Biology of the Damselfishes a symposium held during the 56th
annual meeting of the ASIH. Rosentiel School of Mar. & Atm. Sci. U. of Miami, 1980,
145-328.
Burgess, Warren E. 1981. Pomacentrus alleni and Pomacentrus
thiellei, two new species of Pomacentrids (Pisces: Pomacentridae) from the
Indo-Pacific. TFH 11/81.
Emmens, C.W. 1984. Damselfishes. TFH 9/84.
Fenner, Robert. 1998. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist.
Microcosm, VT. 432pp.
Fenner, Robert. 1999. The indomitable damsels- Family
Pomacentridae. TFH 1/99.
Gronell, A.M., 1984. Look-alike damsels.
TFH 32(8) 48-53.
Howe, Jeffrey C. 1995. Original
descriptions: Colombo damsel Pomacentrus proteus Allen, 1991. FAMA 8/95.
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