Blue Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus pavo
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 11cm
Identification: Light blue to light green with vertical dark streaks on scales, rear tail yellowish; scattered blue spots on head, black 'ear' spot.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Shoreline and lagoon reef coral patches surrounded by sand to 16m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Micronesia and French Polynesia. Taiwan to E. Australia.

Goldhead Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus aurifrons
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Yellow on snout, forehead, and base of anterior dorsal spines.
Favourite: Form groups among sponge, soft corals, and branching hard corals.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs in 2-14m.
Location: East Asian Pacific - Papua New Guinea, Solomon Is. and Vanuatu.

Scaly Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus lepidogenys
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Pale blue-gray with yellow dorsal fin and tail base. Variation from Melanesia and Tonga are light gray with little or no yellow.
Hide-out: Shoreline, lagoon and outer reefs to 12m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Philippines, Palau, Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Fiji and Tonga.

Goldbelly Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus auriventris
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Neon-blue head and upper body, yellow lower and rear body, anal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Mainly on rubble slopes in 2-15m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Christmas I. to W. Bali and E. Kalimantan (Borneo) in Indonesia and Caroline Is. in E. Micronesia.

Similar Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus similis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Deep blue (generally lacking brightness of other neon-blue damsels), pale yellowish tail and blackish ventral fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Rubble or sand and silt areas around rock outcroppings or debris to 15m.
Location: East Indian Ocean - Sri Lanka and Andaman Sea.

Tonga Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus spilotoceps
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Yellow with darkish scale margins, light blue margin on dorsal and anal fins; 'ear' spot behind eye and dark spot at base of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form loose aggregations.
Hide-out: Lagoons and inshore reefs to 3m.
Location: Tonga.

Saksono's Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus saksonoi
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Pale gray to nearly white; wedge-shaped brownish mark on upper pectoral fin base.
Hide-out: Silty coral reefs in 8-15m.
Location: Seribu Is. in Java Sea and Sangihe Is. in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Twinspot Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus geminospilus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7.5cm
Identification: Light blue-gray with darker scale outlines; blue spots and blotches on cheek and gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Sheltered shoreline reefs and lagoons on sloping silty bottoms around coral and rock outcroppings in 3-15m.
Location: N. Kalimantan (Borneo) and Palawan Province, Philippines.

Smith's Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus smithi
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Light gray with pale yellow wash over nape and upper back and a few blue spots; bright yellow iris.
Favourite: Form large busy schools over patches of branching corals.
Hide-out: Silty coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-14m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines.

Philippine Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus philippinus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Dark gray to purple with black scale margins; black spot on pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Passages and outer reefs, usually in shadows of cliffs and ledges to 12m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Maldives to Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea and Fiji, north to S.W. Japan.

Imitator Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus imitator
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Gray head and body with black scale margins gradating to tan tail; gold iris, large black spot covering pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Usually seen on outer reef slopes in 2-15m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - Coral Sea to Rotuma I. in N. Fiji.

Coral Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus sp.
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Puplish brown, yellowish on lower head, breast and tail. Small black spot at upper pectoral fin base and tiny dark 'ear' spot.
Favourite: Usually form groups around live coral patches.
Hide-out: Shoreline, lagoon and outer reefs to 12m.
Location: Fiji and Tonga.

Blue-Spotted Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus azuremaculatus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Light blue-gray (nearly white) with blue spot or streak on scales of upper forebody.
Favourite: Solitary or form loose groups.
Hide-out: Mainly offshore coral reefs in 5-30m.
Location: E. Andaman Sea and Seribu Is. in Java Sea, Indonesia.

Blueback Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus simsiang
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Yellow with blue upper head and back; pale spots on cheek and gill cover, usually blue lines on forehead.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Silty shoreline reefs and lagoons around coral and rock outcroppings to 10m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia, Philippines, Palau to Solomon Is. and Vanuatu. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Australian Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus australis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Bluish gray upper head and back, remainder light gray to white; vertical blue streak on scales of back. Large Adults are blue on upper body and white below.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Coral rock outcroppings in sand or rubble areas in 5-35m.
Location: Great Barrier Reef to Sydney, Australia.

Ambon Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus amboinensis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Body color variable according to locality but most commonly yellow; pale pink to blue blotches and markings on lower head. Juvenile - Black spot on rear dorsal fin persists on adults in Andaman Sea.
Hide-out: Sandy areas in 2-40m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Fiji and Marshall Is. in Micronesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Whitetail Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus chrysurus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Gray-brown with white tail, often lighter gray on upper back and dorsal fin; upper rim of eye orange.
Favourite: Solitary or form loose groups.
Hide-out: Sandy areas of shoreline reefs and lagoons to 3m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Maldives and Sri Lanka to Australia and New Caledonia, north to S.W. Japan.

Charcoal Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus brachialis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Charcoal-gray to black; large black spot covering base of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Usually feed in groups in mid-water a short distance above reef.
Hide-out: Passages and outer reef slopes in 6-40m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea and Fiji, north to S.W. Japan.

Thai Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus polyspinus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Gray with dark scale outlines; blue lines on snout and forehead, ocellated spot on rear dorsal fin and may display small black 'ear' spot.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Shoreline and lagoon reefs in 3-10m.
Location: E. Andaman Sea.

Whitespot Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus albimaculus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Gray to brown with dark scale outlines; white saddle on upper tail base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Rocky outcroppings and debris of sandy inshore areas in 10-20m.
Location: Reliably known only from the Madang region of Papua New Guinea.