White Damsel

Scientific Name: Dischistodus perspicillatus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 19cm
Identification: White to pale green; highly variable markings include 2 or 3 black to dusky spots, saddles or bars on forehead, mid-back and rear back.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups, aggressive.
Hide-out: Lagoon and inshore reefs with sand, silt and seagrass bottoms to 10m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - Andaman Sea to N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef and Vanuatu, north to Palau and Philippines.

Oriental Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon auripes
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Description: Brown to golden brown with numerous thin dark stripes; prominent black eye bar with white bar behind.
Favourite: Solitary or form aggregations.
Hide-out: Rocky reefs with some coral and algal growth to 30m. Juveniles in tide pools.
Location: W. Pacific Rim from S. China Sea to S.W. Japan.

Allen's Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis alleni
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Cinnanon-brown; white band around tail base, pale tail. Prominent black spot covers pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Coral reefs and shorelines in 11-30m.
Location: Taiwan to Bonin Is south of Japan.

Conspicuous Angelfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Gray body rimmed in black, orange face with blue eye ring; bluish white margin on dorsal and anal fins, band of orange on pectoral and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary, in pairs or small groups.
Hide-out: Outer reefs in 20-40m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - S. Great Barrier Reef to New South Wales and New Caledonia, Lord Howe and Norfolk Is.

Blackbar Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis retrofasciata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Yellowish tan with whitish tail; dark band above eye, black bar across rear edge of body.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Stay near bottom of lagoons and on outer reefs in 5-65m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Great Barrier Reef and Fiji.

Colin's Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus colini
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Gray with darker scale outlines and large white patch on upper rear body extending onto dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form loose groups.
Hide-out: Shoreline reefs and lagoons in 10-18m.
Location: S.E. Papua New Guinea from Port Moresby to Milne Bay.

Meyer's Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon meyersi
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 18cm
Description: White to bluish white; curving black bands converging near pectoral fin, yellowish rim encircles body.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Coral-rich areas of clear lagoons and seaward reefs in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa, Maldives and Bay of Bengal to Indonesia, Philippines, Micronesia and Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Fusilier Damsel

Scientific Name: Lepidozygus tapeinosoma
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Elongate body; greenish brown to yellowish upper body, bluish to pink below; usually a yellow spot at base of last dorsal fin rays.
Favourite: Form feeding aggregations high above bottom.
Hide-out: Often in areas of strong current in 5-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Line Is. and E. French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.

Barrier Reef Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis nitida
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: White; black bordered brown 'skull-cap' runs from snout to mid-dorsal fin, black borders on tail and anal fin.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs in coral areas in 5-25m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - Central and S. Great Barrier Reef, south to Sydney and Lord Howe I.

Sweetwater Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Neopomacentrus aquadulcis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Charcoal-gray; fins (except pectorals) have fine blue margins, pectoral fin base dark; broadly rounded tail lobes. Nuptial males display white margin on tail lobes.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Tidal reaches of freshwater streams to 2m.
Location: S.E. Papua New Guinea from Morobe coast to Milne Bay.

Blackstriped Angelfish

Scientific Name: Genicanthus lamarck
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 23cm
Identification: Male - White with 4 black stripes; broad black stripe on outer edge of dorsal fin; black speckles on tail.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reefs in 10-50m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia, Malaysian Peninsula, Philippines, New Guinea to Vanuatu. S.W. Japan to N. Great Barrier Reef.

Freshwater Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Neopomacentrus taeniurus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Brown with dark scale margins and yellow tail with dark borders; yellow edge on rear edge of dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Mangroves, lower reaches of freshwater streams and bays with freshwater discharge to 3m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Africa to Australia and New Guinea.

Blue-Green Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis viridis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Blue to pale green with no markings.
Favourite: Form large schools above coral thickets.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-20m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Marquesas and Society Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Guam Reef-Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomachromis guamensis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Grayish head and belly, light blue-green body gradating to yellow rear body and tail; a small black spot on upper pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Feed in groups on plankton 1-2m above bottom.
Hide-out: Exposed seaward reefs in 3-33m.
Location: Mariana Is. in Micronesia.

Marquesan Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon declivis
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Description: White with dark spots, fins yellowish; broad diagonal area across rear body gradating orange to black, orange eye bar and snout tip.
Hide-out: Rocky reef slopes and steep walls adjacent to sand bottoms below 20m.
Location: Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific and Marquesas Is. in French Polynesia.

Richardson's Reef-Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomachromis richardsoni
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Light brown upper head gradating to light blue-gray with dark scale margins on upper body; black streak on upper tail base, black tail borders.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Exposed reefs in 10-20m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Reunion and Mauritius Is. to New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa. Taiwan and S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Green Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis cinerascens
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Dusky gray-green with yellow tints on lower forebody, ventral fins white. Nest-guarding fish sometimes white with large irregular brown botches.
Favourite: Form large schools.
Hide-out: Silty coastal reefs in 3-15m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Sri Lanka to N.W. Australia, north to Hong Kong.

Lined Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis lineata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5cm
Identification: Yellowish brown undercolor with blue scale rows forming stripes on body; fine blue margins on dorsal, anal and ventral fins.
Favourite: Usually form groups or aggregations.
Hide-out: Above outer reef slopes in 2-10m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Christmas I. to Indonesia and Solomon Is. Philippines to Great Barrier Reef.

Black Velvet Angelfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodontoplus melanosoma
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Light gray head and back, dark gray below, dorsal, anal and tail fins black with yellow margin; maze of yellow markings on snout and nape.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Inshore and outer rock and coral reefs in 5-30m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines, to S.W. Japan.

Midget Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis acares
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Blue-gray to light purple; yellow area from eye to pectoral fin, black rear anal fin, and broad yellow borders on tail.
Favourite: Form aggregations above coral heads.
Hide-out: Clear lagoons and channels and exposed seaward reefs in 2-37m.
Location: West and Central Pacific - Mariana Is. in Micronesia to Hawaii, Vanuatu and Society Is. in French Polynesia.