Fig 1
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Order :
Uncertain
Family : POMACENTRIDAE
Species : Pomacentrus coelestis
Maximum Length : 9 cm
Pomacentrus coelestis is a small, reef-dwelling, perciforme in the
family Pomacentridae. It inhabits tropical waters from the eastern Indian
Ocean, through the archipelagos of Southeast Asia to the western and central
Pacific Ocean.
The species inhabits calm lagoons, as well as seaward-facing slopes
of outer reefs, where seas are somewhat rougher. A study in Australia
(Doherty et al, 1996) postulates that habitat selection (lagoons or outer
reef slopes) may be based on ambient temperature detected by pelagic
juveniles.
The head and body of
Pomacentrus coelestis are bright blue, and its anal and tail fins are pale, with
the latter often bright yellow.
Its diet comprises zooplankton and benthic algae gleaned from coral rubble.
Eggs are deposited amongst the substrate where they adhere to coral rubble:
these are guarded by the male parent, who also keeps them aerated.
A field study in Japan (Ishihara, 1987) documented instances of 'group
mobbing' by
Pomacentrus coelestis towards potential predators, such as moray eels:
nesting males were recorded as making direct physical contact with the
perceived threat.
It is likely that this 'species' comprises a complex of at least two
divergent lineages (Liu et al, 2012).
Fig 1 : Typical example of a Neon Damselfish from
French Polynesia in the central Pacific Ocean, with bright blue head and body, and yellow tail.
Fig 2 : A group of Neon Damselfish swimming above a shallow, fringing reef
at Manado Tua island, near Bunaken Island, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo
thanks to Kelvin Lim.
Fig 3 : The shallow, crystal clear, turquoise waters fringing Manado Tua and Bunaken Island, with the main island of Sulawesi on the horizon.
References :
Allen, G. 1988. Marine Fishes of Southeast Asia. Western Australian
Museum.
Doherty, P., Kingsford, M., Booth, D. & Carleton, J. (1996). Habitat
selection before settlement by Pomacentrus coelestis. Marine and
Freshwater Research, 47(2), 391-399.
Ishihara, M. (1987). Effect of mobbing toward predators by the damselfish
Pomacentrus coelestis (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Journal of Ethology,
5(1), 43-52.
Liu, S. Y. V., Dai, C. F., Allen, G. R. & Erdmann, M. V. (2012).
Phylogeography of the neon damselfish Pomacentrus coelestis indicates
a cryptic species and different species origins in the West Pacific Ocean.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 458, 155-167.
Links :
Fishbase
- Pomacentrus coelestis
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