Home > Fishes > Damselfishes

Updated 12/22/2023

Family Pomacentridae

Damselfishes and Anemonefishes

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 - ENDEMIC

Abudefduf abdominalis   

HAWAIIAN SERGEANT     mamo

 

  Abudefduf  hybrid 

HYBRID SERGEANT

Chromis verater   

THREESPOT CHROMIS

 

Pycnochromis hanui  

CHOCOLATE-DIP CHROMIS

Chromis ovalis   

OVAL CHROMIS, Juvenile

 

Chromis ovalis   

OVAL CHROMIS

Dascyllus albisella    

HAWAIIAN DASCYLLUS, Juvenile

 

Dascyllus albisella    

HAWAIIAN DASCYLLUS

 

Plectroglyphidodon marginatus

HAWAIIAN GREGORY

 

 

Plectroglyphidodon sindonis

ROCK DAMSELFISH


INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII

Abudefduf sordidus

BLACKSPOT SERGEANT     kūpīpī

Abudefduf vaigiensis

INDO-PACIFIC SERGEANT

 

Pycnochromis pacifica

 PACIFIC AGILE (BRONZE) CHROMIS

 

Pycnochromis leucurus

WHITETAIL CHROMIS

 

Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis

BRIGHT-EYE DAMSELFISH

 

Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus

BLUE-EYE DAMSELFISH

Pycnochromis acares

MIDGET CHROMIS

Pycnochromis vanderbilti

BLACKFIN CHROMIS

 

Plectroglyphidodon phoenixensis

PHOENIX DAMSELFISH

 

 

INDO-PACIFIC 

Amphiprion clarkii

CLARK'S ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion clarkii

CLARK'S ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion clarkii

CLARK'S ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion clarkii

CLARK'S ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion chrysopterus

ORANGEFIN ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion chrysopterus

ORANGEFIN ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion chrysopterus

ORANGEFIN ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion chrysopterus

ORANGEFIN ANEMONEFISH, Fiji

Amphiprion frenatus

 TOMATO ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion frenatus

 TOMATO ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion barberi

FIJI ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion melanopus

DUSKY ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion pacificus

PACIFIC SKUNK ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion sandaracinos

ORANGE SKUNK ANEMONEFISH

Amphiprion perideraion

PINK ANEMONEFISH

 

 
Amphiprion ocellaris

CLOWN ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion percula

ORANGE ANEMONEFISH

 

Amphiprion biaculeatus

SPINECHEEK ANEMONEFISH

 

Lepidozygus tapeinosoma

FUSILIER DAMSEL

 
Abudefduf lorenzi

BLACKTAIL SERGEANT

 

Abudefduf semptemfasciatus

SEVEN-BAR SERGEANT

 

Abudefduf sexfasciatus

SIX-BAR or SCISSORTAIL SERGEANT

 

Abudefduf notatus

YELLOWTAIL SERGEANT

Amblyglyphidodon melanopterus

BLACKFIN DAMSEL

 

Amblyglyphidodon orbicularis

ORBICULAR DAMSEL

 

Amblyglyphidodon batunai

BATUNA'S DAMSEL

 

Amblyglyphidodon curacao

STAGHORN DAMSEL

 

Amblyglyphidodon aureus

GOLDEN DAMSEL, juvenile

 

Amblyglyphidodon aureus

GOLDEN DAMSEL

 

Chromis analis

YELLOW CHROMIS

 

Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster

WHITEBELLY DAMSEL

Chromis atripectoralis

BLACK-AXIL CHROMIS

 

Chromis viridis

BLUE-GREEN CHROMIS

 

Chromis xanthura

PALETAIL CHROMIS, Juvenile

 

Chromis xanthura

PALETAIL CHROMIS

Pycnochromis caudalis

BLUE-AXIL CHROMIS

 

Pycnochromis margaritifer

BICOLOR CHROMIS

Pycnochromis delta

DEEP REEF CHROMIS

 

Pycnochromis iomelas

PACIFIC HALF-AND-HALF CHROMIS

 

Chromis chrysura

STOUT CHROMIS

 

Chromis alpha

ALPHA CHROMIS

Pycnochromis amboinensis

AMBON CHROMIS

 

Pycnochromis atripes

DARKFIN CHROMIS

Pycnochromis retrofasciata

BLACKBAR CHROMIS

 

Pycnochromis acares

MIDGET CHROMIS

 

Chromis scotochiloptera

PHILIPPINES CHROMIS

 

Chromis ternatensis

TERNATE CHROMIS

Azurina elerae

TWINSPOT CHROMIS

 

Azurina lepidolepis

SCALY CHROMIS

 

Chromis weberi

 WEBER'S CHROMIS

 

Chromis xanthochira

 YELLOW-AXIL CHROMIS

Neopomacentrus metallicus

METALLIC DEMOISELLE

 

Neopomacentrus nemurus

CORAL DEMOISELLE

Chrysiptera cyanea

 

BLUE DEVIL, female

 
Chrysiptera cyanea

 

BLUE DEVIL, male

 
Pomacentrus auriventris

GOLD- or YELLOW-BELLY DAMSEL

 

Chrysiptera taupou

SAMOAN DAMSEL or SOUTH SEAS DEVIL

 

Pomacentrus coelestis

NEON DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus pavo

BLUE DAMSEL

Chrysiptera springeri

 

SPRINGER'S DAMSEL

 
Chrysiptera bleekeri

 

BLEEKER'S DAMSEL

 
Chrysiptera glauca

GRAY DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus callainus

BLUE-GREEN DAMSEL

Pomacentrus nigromarginatus

BLACK-MARGINED DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus nigromanus

GOLDBACK DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus reidi

REID'S DAMSEL

Pomacentrus lepidogenys

SCALY DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus emarginatus

OUTER-REEF DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus flavioculus

YELLOWEYE DAMSEL

Pomacentrus bankanensis

SPECKLED DAMSEL

Pomacentrus chrysurus

WHITETAIL DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus vaiuli 

PRINCESS DAMSEL, juvenile

 

Pomacentrus vaiuli 

PRINCESS DAMSEL

Pomacentrus spilotoceps

ORANGE-SPOTTED DAMSEL, subadult

 

Pomacentrus spilotoceps

ORANGE-SPOTTED DAMSEL

Pomacentrus brachialis

CHARCOAL DAMSEL

Pomacentrus cf. microspilus

TONGA DAMSEL

 

 Pomacentrus grammorhynchus

 

AZURESPOT DAMSEL, juvenile

 Pomacentrus grammorhynchus

 

AZURESPOT DAMSEL

 

 Pomacentrus simsiang

BLUEBACK DAMSEL, juv

 Pomacentrus simsiang

BLUEBACK DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus adelus

OBSCURE DAMSEL, juvenie

 

Pomacentrus adelus

OBSCURE DAMSEL 

Pomacentrus burroughi

BURROUGH'S DAMSEL 

 

Pomacentrus burroughi

BURROUGH'S DAMSEL

Pomacentrus littoralis

SMOKY DAMSEL, subadult

 

Pomacentrus littoralis

SMOKY DAMSEL

   
Chrysiptera brownriggii

SURGE DAMSEL

 

Chrysiptera brownriggii

SURGE DAMSEL

Pomacentrus moluccensis

LEMON DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus maafu

CORAL DAMSEL

 

Chrysiptera oxycephala

BLUESPOT DAMSEL, juv

 

Chrysiptera oxycephala

BLUESPOT DAMSEL

Chrysiptera rollandi

ROLLAND'S DAMSEL

 

Chrysiptera talboti

TALBOT'S DAMSEL

 

Chrysiptera rex

KING DAMSEL

 

Pomacentrus amboinensis

 

AMBON DAMSEL

 
Neoglyphidodon nigroris

YELLOWFIN DAMSEL

 

Neopomacentrus cyanomos

REGAL DEMOISELLE

Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus

JEWEL DAMSEL

 

Chrysiptera unimacuata

ONESPOT DAMSEL

 

Plectroglyphidodon dickii

BLACKBAR DAMSEL

 

Plectroglyphidodon leucozonus

WHITEBAR DAMSEL

 

Neoglyphidodon crossi

CROSS' DAMSEL

 

Neoglyphidodon carlsoni

CARLSON'S DAMSEL

Neoglyphidodon melas

BLACK DAMSEL, Juvenile

 

Neoglyphidodon melas

BLACK DAMSEL

Acanthochromis polyacanthus

SPINY CHROMIS, juv

 

Acanthochromis polyacanthus

SPINY CHROMIS

Stegastes albifasciatus

WHITEBAR GREGORY

 

Plectroglyphidodon fasciolatus

SOUTH PACIFIC GREGORY

Stegastes nigricans

DUSKY GREGORY

 

Stegastes punctatus

BLUNTSNOUT GREGORY

 

Hemiglyphidodon plagiometopon

LAGOON DAMSEL, Juv

 

Hemiglyphidodon plagiometopon

LAGOON DAMSEL

Dischistodus chrysopoecilus 

 

PALE-SPOT DAMSEL, juv 

 

Dischistodus chrysopoecilus 

 

PALE-SPOT DAMSEL 

Dischistodus melanotus

 

BLACK-VENT DAMSEL, juv 

 

Dischistodus melanotus

 

BLACK-VENT DAMSEL 

Dischistodus perspicillatus

WHITE DAMSEL, juv

 

Dischistodus perspicillatus

WHITE DAMSEL

Dascyllus aruanus

HUMBUG DASCYLLUS

 

Dascyllus melanurus

BLACK-TAILED DASCYLLUS

Dascyllus trimaculatus

THREE-SPOT DASCYLLUS, juvenile

 

Dascyllus trimaculatus

THREE-SPOT DASCYLLUS

Dascyllus reticulatus

RETICULATED DASCYLLUS

 

Dascyllus flavicaudus

YELLOW-TAIL DASCYLLUS

 


JAPAN

Chromis fumea

SMOKY CHROMIS    Matsuba-suzumedai

 


INDIAN OCEAN

Pomacentrus similis

SIMILAR DAMSELFISH

 


CALIFORNIA

Hypsypops rubicundus

GARIBALDI, Juvenile

 

Hypsypops rubicundus

GARIBALDI

 

Chromis punctipinnis

BLACKSMITH

 


TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC

Azurina 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

 

Abudefduf troschelii

PANAMA SERGEANT

 


TROPICAL WESTERN ATLANTIC

Azurina cyanea

BLUE CHROMIS

 

Azurina multilineata

BROWN CHROMIS

 

Abudefduf saxatilis

CARIBBEAN SERGEANT

 

 
Microspathodon chrysurus

YELLOWTAIL DAMSELFISH, Juv

 

Microspathodon chrysurus

YELLOWTAIL DAMSELFISH

 

Stegastes partitus

BICOLOR DAMSELFISH

Stegastes partitus

BICOLOR DAMSELFISH

 

Stegastes adustus

DUSKY DAMSELFISH, Juvenile

 

Stegastes adustus

DUSKY DAMSELFISH

Stegastes diencaeus

LONGFIN DAMSELFISH, Juvenile

 

Stegastes diencaeus

LONGFIN DAMSELFISH

Stegastes leucostictus

BEAUGREGORY, Juvenile

 

Stegastes leucostictus

BEAUGREGORY

 

Stegastes planifrons

THREESPOT DAMSELFISH, Juvenile

 

Stegastes planifrons

THREESPOT DAMSELFISH

 

Stegastes xanthurus

COCOA DAMSELFISH, Juvenile

 

Stegastes xanthurus

COCOA DAMSELFISH