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Related FAQs: Pomacentrus, Damsel Identification, Damsel Selection, Damsel Compatibility, Damsel Feeding, Damsel Disease, Damsel Reproduction,
Related Articles: The family Pomacentridae, the
Damselfishes,
/A Diversity of Aquatic
Life
Genus Pomacentrus Damselfishes
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By Bob Fenner
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Pomacentrus moluccensis
(Bleeker 1853), the Lemon Damsel in
Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia
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Pomacentrus Species of Interest To
Aquarists:
The fifty six described species of this Damsel genus contain many
peaceful aquarium possibilities.
| Pomacentrus albicaudatus Burgess 1981,
Whitefin Damselfish. Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea. To 6 cm. Red
Sea photo. |
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| Pomacentrus alleni Burgess 1981,
Allen's or Andaman Damselfish. Andaman Sea, the Similans off of
Thailand. A hardy beauty that grows to a maximum of two inches and
does well living solitarily. This one in a reef aquarium by
itself. The black lower margin of the caudal is definitive. |
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Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies.
Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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| Pomacentrus aquilus Allen & Randall
1980, the Somber or Dark Damselfish. Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea
and the Persian Gulf, south to Madagascar and the east African
coast at least as far south as Kenya. To 12 cm. in length. Largish,
but easily detected as it slinks between rocky cover. An adult one
in the Red Sea. |
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| Pomacentrus auriventris Allen 1991, the
Yellow-belly or Goldbelly Damsel. Indo-Malay Peninsula, Caroline
Islands. To 5.5 cm. Found near bottom, principally about rubble
slopes. N. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are linked
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| Pomacentrus caeruleus Quoy & Gaimard
1825, the Caerulean Damsel. Western Indian Ocean, eastern Africa to
the Maldives. To four inches maximum. A Damselfish beauty that
deserves to be imported much more frequently. This one in the
Maldives. |
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to go to the larger size. |
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| Pomacentrus chrysurus Cuvier 1830, the
Whitetail Damsel. Indo-west Pacific. To about three inches in
length. A better looking individual, with a broad yellow dorsal
band and ocellus, the adults (pictured) are overall slate colored
with a white tail. Maldives image. |
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| Pomacentrus coelestis Jordan & Starks
1901, one of the Neon Damsels. To three and a half inches in
length. Widespread in the Indo-Pacific, and a common import. This
is a feisty damselfish species, best kept as the only Damsel type
in a tank, and allowing a good fifteen gallons plus per specimen.
An alpha male in the Cooks, one in Fiji. |
 
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| Pomacentrus indicus Allen 1991, the Indian
Damsel. Western Indian Ocean. A rare import, though a beauty when
young. To three inches in length. Juvenile and adult in Maldives
pictured. |
 
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| Pomacentrus moluccensis (Bleeker 1853), the
Lemon Damsel. Eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. To two
inches in length. This little beauty is occasionally imported from
Fiji (where the first picture was taken), Tonga and Vanuatu. Second
image, Heron Island, Australia. Third, N. Sulawesi. |
Bigger PIX:
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(desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to
the larger size. |
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| Pomacentrus nigromarginatus Allen 1973, the
Blackmargin Damsel. Western Pacific. To 8 cm. This one in S.
Sulawesi. |
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| Pomacentrus pavo (Bloch 1787), the Sapphire
or Peacock Damsel. Indo-Pacific. To three inches in length. A hardy
beauty for peaceful all-fish as well as reef tanks. Can be kept
singly. This one photographed in the Maldives. |
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| Pomacentrus philippinus (Evermann &
Seale 1907), the Philippine Damsel. Western Pacific and eastern
Indian Oceans. Variable in amount of yellow coloring by vicinity.
To three inches in length. One in the Maldives where only their
tails are yellow, and another in Mabul, Malaysia. |
 
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| Pomacentrus reidi Fowler & Bean 1928,
Reid's Damsel. Indo-Australian; Philippines, Celebes,
Australia, Solomon's. To 9 cm. Found on steep, outer reef
slopes, typically solitarily. N. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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| Pomacentrus sulfureus Klunzinger
1871, the Sulphur Damsel. Western Indian Ocean, including the Red
Sea. To three inches overall length. This fish has become a steady
offering in the pet trade. It's a gorgeous golden yellow
overall as an adult and only slightly less so as juveniles. This
one in Bunaken, Indonesia. |
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| Pomacentrus trichrourus Gunther
1867, the Rale-Tail Damsel. Western Indian Ocean, including the Red
Sea; E. Africa. To 11 cm.s overall length. This one in N. Red Sea 2019. |
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| Pomacentrus vaiuli Jordan & Seale 1906,
the Ocellated Damselfish. Western Pacific to Eastern Indian Ocean.
To four inches in length, and as territorial as the genus comes...
hangs out on its patch of Acroporid coral in the wild, and best
kept this way with plenty of room (at least twenty gallons to each)
in captivity. Juveniles in the Cooks and N. Sulawesi shown (bottom
one a half inch long), and one mid-age in Fiji. Color variable, some with a yellowish dorsal
region grading to blue. |
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Bibliography/Further Reading:
Allen, Gerald R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas.
TFH Publications, Neptune City, N.J.
Allen, Gerald R. 1976. How many sergeant majors? Marine
Aquarist 7(6):76.
Allen, Gerald R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World.
Aquarium Systems, Mentor, Ohio.
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists,
1978. The Biology of the Damselfishes a symposium held during the 56th
annual meeting of the ASIH. Rosentiel School of Mar. & Atm. Sci. U.
of Miami, 1980, 145-328.
Burgess, Warren E. 1981. Pomacentrus alleni and
Pomacentrus thiellei, two new species of Pomacentrids (Pisces:
Pomacentridae) from the Indo-Pacific. TFH 11/81.
Emmens, C.W. 1984. Damselfishes. TFH 9/84.
Fenner, Robert. 1998. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist.
Microcosm, VT. 432pp.
Fenner, Robert. 1999. The indomitable damsels- Family
Pomacentridae. TFH 1/99.
Gronell, A.M., 1984. Look-alike damsels. TFH 32(8)
48-53.
Howe, Jeffrey C. 1995. Original descriptions: Colombo
damsel Pomacentrus proteus Allen, 1991. FAMA 8/95.
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