Damselfishes, Family Pomacentridae

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Family Pomacentridae

The damselfish family contains a great number of species found in warm seas worldwide. They have a variety of specialized roles as territorial algal farmers, planktivores, or partners living commensally with sea anemones. The sexes are indistinguishable but males are responsible for nest-making and defending the eggs from hungry wrasses and butterflyfishes. At this time they might display a nuptial color pattern. Avoid getting too close to a nest since it distracts the male allowing predators to start a feeding frenzy that consumes the entire clutch in seconds.

Anemonefishes, also known as Clownfishes, are commensal with certain species of anemones and occur throughout the Indo-Pacific but are absent from Hawai‘i and the Atlantic. The Australian Musuem Online has the latest facts about the sting-resistance of these interesting fishes.

HAWAII

Abudefduf abdominalis

HAWAIIAN SERGEANT mamo

Abudefduf vaigiensis

INDO-PACIFIC SERGEANT

Abudefduf hybrid

HYBRID SERGEANT

Abudefduf sordidus

BLACKSPOT SERGEANT kūpīpī

Chromis agilis

AGILE CHROMIS

Chromis hanui

CHOCOLATE-DIP CHROMIS

Chromis leucura

WHITETAIL CHROMIS

Chromis vanderbilti

BLACKFIN CHROMIS

Chromis ovalis

OVAL CHROMIS, Juvenile

Chromis ovalis

OVAL CHROMIS

Dascyllus albisella

HAWAIIAN DASCYLLUS, Juvenile

Dascyllus albisella

HAWAIIAN DASCYLLUS

Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis

BRIGHT-EYE DAMSELFISH

Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus

BLUE-EYE DAMSELFISH

Plectroglyphidodon phoenixensis

PHOENIX DAMSELFISH

Plectroglyphidodon sindonis

ROCK DAMSELFISH

Stegastes marginatus

HAWAIIAN GREGORY

Chromis verater

THREESPOT CHROMIS

INDO-PACIFIC

Amphiprion clarkii

CLARK'S ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion melanopus

DUSKY ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion ocellaris

CLOWN ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion percula

ORANGE CLOWNFISH

Amphiprion perideraion

PINK ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion sandaracinos

WHITESTRIPE or YELLOW SKUNK ANEMONEFISH

Premnas biaculeatus

SPINECHEEK ANEMONEFISH

Chromis acares

MIDGET CHROMIS

Abudefduf sexfasciatus

SIX-BAR or SCISSORSTAIL SERGEANT

Abudefduf semptemfasciatus

SEVEN-BAR SERGEANT

Chrysiptera glauca

GRAY DAMSELFISH

Amblyglyphidodon curacao

STAGHORN DAMSELFISH

Chromis analis

YELLOW CHROMIS

Chromis atripectoralis

BLACKSPOT CHROMIS

Chromis caudalis

BLUE-AXIL CHROMIS

Chromis iomelas

HALF-AND-HALF CHROMIS

Chromis xanthura

VARIABLE CHROMIS, Juvenile

Chromis xanthura

VARIABLE CHROMIS

Pomacentrus auriventris

GOLD- or YELLOW-BELLY DAMSELFISH

Chrysiptera taupou

SAMOAN DAMSELFISH or SOUTH SEAS DEVIL

Chrysiptera rollandi

ROLLAND'S DAMSELFISH

Chrysiptera rex

KING DAMSELFISH

Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus

JEWEL DAMSELFISH

Plectroglyphidodon leucozonus

WHITEBAR DAMSELFISH

Neoglyphidodon melas

BOWTIE DAMSELFISH, Juvenile

Neoglyphidodon melas

BOWTIE DAMSELFISH

Stegastes albifasciatus

WHITEBAR GREGORY

Stegastes fasciolatus

SOUTH PACIFIC GREGORY

Stegastes nigricans

DUSKY GREGORY

Dischistodus perspicillatus

WHITE DAMSELFISH

Dascyllus aruanus

HUMBUG DASCYLLUS

Pomacentrus coelestis

NEON DAMSELFISH

JAPAN

Chromis fumea

SMOKY CHROMIS Matsuba-suzumedai

INDIAN OCEAN

Pomacentrus similis

SIMILAR DAMSELFISH

CALIFORNIA

Hypsypops rubicunda

GARIBALDI, Juvenile

Hypsypops rubicunda

GARIBALDI

Chromis punctipinnis

BLACKSMITH

TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC

Chromis atrilobata SCISSORSTAIL CHROMIS	Microspathodon dorsalis GIANT DAMSELFISH
Chromis limbaughi LIMBAUGH'S CHROMIS, Juvenile	Chromis limbaughi LIMBAUGH'S CHROMIS
Stegastes acapulcoensis ACAPULCO GREGORY, Juvenile	Stegastes acapulcoensis ACAPULCO GREGORY
Stegastes flavilatus BEAUBRUMMEL GREGORY, Juvenile	Stegastes flavilatus BEAUBRUMMEL GREGORY