Dascyllus melanurus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Pomacentridae (Damselfishes)
Dascyllus
Dascyllus melanurus
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep. Color in life white with 3 black bars; has a black area over the outer two-thirds of the tail, which distinguishes it from D. aruanus; pelvic fins black; pectoral fins transparent. Tubed lateral lines scales 16 to 17. Margins of preorbital, suborbital, and preoperculum finely serrated (Ref. 2746). Body depth 1.5-1.7 in SL (Ref. 90102). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Sumatra to Vanuatu, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to New Caledonia. Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797).
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 1-68 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs.
Biology
Schooling species, adults inhabit sheltered lagoons, harbors and inlets. Also in somewhat open substrates with outcrops of Acropora corals (Ref. 48636). Often associated with small coral heads. Feed on a variety of plankton, including larval shrimps and crabs, algae, ostracods, amphipods, pelagic tunicates, copepods, and fish eggs. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205). Diurnal species (Ref. 54980; 113699).
Max length: 8.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters); parental care: paternal. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2021-09-23. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Randall, H.A. and G.R. Allen (1977) A revision of the damselfish genus Dascyllus (Pomacentridae) with description of a new species. Rec. Aust. Mus. 31(9):349-385.
Allen, G.R. (1991) Damselfishes of the world. Mergus Publishers, Melle, Germany. 271 p.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Myers, R.F. (1999) Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
Comments On Dascyllus melanurus