Animal Species:Three-spot Dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus (Ruppell, 1829)

Three-spot Dascyllus are blue-black with dark scale margins. Juveniles have a white spot on the forehead and one on the side of the body. It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific

Alternative Name/s

The Three-spot Dascyllus has also been called the Three-spot Humbug.

Identification

Three-spot Dascyllus are blue-black with dark scale margins. Juveniles have a white spot on the forehead and one on the side of the body. As an individual ages, the forehead spot disappears and the spot on the side of the body becomes indistinct or disappears.

Size range

The species grows to 13 cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea, throughout South-east Asia and Micronesia, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to the Pitcairn Islands. In Australia the Three-spot Dascyllus is known from the north-western coast of Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, south to southern New South Wales and Lord Howe Island.

Habitat

It inhabits lagoons and coral reefs. Juveniles are often associated with large sea anemones and are sometimes seen with Anemone fish. As they grow, Three-spot Dascyllus lose the ability to live in anemones. Adults occur in small to large aggregations.

Three-spot Dascyllus are found in depths from 1m to 55m.

Feeding and Diet

The species feeds on algae, copepods and other planktonic crustaceans.

Classification

Species:
trimaculatus
Genus:
Dascyllus
Family:
Pomacentridae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas. TFH Publications. Pp. 237. Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Mergus. Pp. 271.
  2. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
  3. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 251.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Three-spot Dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus, Pomacentridae,