Imitator Damsel, Pomacentrus imitator (Whitley 1964)
Other Names: Imitator Damselfish
An Imitator Damsel, Pomacentrus imitator, on Tregosse Reef in the Coral Sea, November 2016. Source: Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A dark bluish-grey damselfish shading to a white tail with darker scale margins forming a network pattern on the body, a large black spot covering the pectoral-fin base and pectoral-fin axil, and a narrow dark margin on the tail.
This species is currently only known from reefs in the Coral Sea in the Australian EEZ. Images in many publications are of Pomacentrus flavioculus, from Fiji and Tonga, which has a yellow tail.
This species is currently only known from reefs in the Coral Sea in the Australian EEZ. Images in many publications are of Pomacentrus flavioculus, from Fiji and Tonga, which has a yellow tail.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2017, Pomacentrus imitator in Fishes of Australia, accessed 03 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/375
Imitator Damsel, Pomacentrus imitator (Whitley 1964)
More Info
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Distribution |
Endemic to reefs in the Coral Sea in the Australian EEZ. The type material was collected "from beyond the reef crest". |
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Remarks |
The similar Pomacentrus flavioculus (from Fiji and Tonga) differs from P. imitator in the following characteristics: a bright yellow ring that encircles the pupil, a more uniform body color (vs. contrasting pale scale centers and dark scale margins in P. imitator), a yellowish caudal fin (vs. whitish in P. imitator), and a small orange marking immediately above the large black spot that covers the pectoral-fin base (absent in P. imitator). |
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Species Citation |
Pseudopomacentrus imitator Whitley 1964, Rec. Aust. Mus. 26(5): 175. Type locality: Lihou Atoll, Coral Sea. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2017 |
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Resources |
Imitator Damsel, Pomacentrus imitator (Whitley 1964)
References
Allen, G.R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas. Neptune City, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp. (as a synonym of Pomacentrus philippinus)
Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Melle, Germany : Mergus Verlag 271 pp. (Image is of a fish from Tonga, and is not Pomacentrus imitator)
Allen, G.R., Erdmann, M.V. & Pertiwi, P.D. (2017) Descriptions of four new species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) in the Pomacentrus philippinus complex from the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 25: 47–76. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.317395 PDF available, open access
Allen, G.R., Erdmann, M.V. & Pertiwi, P.D. (2017) Pomacentrus flavioculus, a new species of damselfish from Fiji and Samoa (Teleostei: Pomacentridae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 28: 22–33. Open access, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.896910
Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp. (image is of a fish from Fiji that is not Pomacentrus imitator)
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs (the image is not from Australia, and is of a different species of Pomacentrus)
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs. (the image is not from Australia, and is of a different species of Pomacentrus)
Whitley, G.P. 1964. Fishes from the Coral Sea and the Swain Reefs. Records of the Australian Museum 26(5): 145-195 figs 1-15 pls 8-10 http://dx.doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.26.1964.673 PDF available
