Ambon Damsel, Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker 1868


Other Names: Amboina Damselfish, Amboina Demoiselle, Pallid Damsel-fish

An Ambon Damsel, Pomacentrus amboinensis, at Cook Island Aquatic Reserve off Fingal Head, New South Wales. Source: Ian V. Shaw / Reef Life Survey. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:

A yellow to pale mauve damselfish with darker scale margins, a spot at the top of gill cover and another spot on the upper pectoral fin base. Juveniles have an ocellus or false 'eye spot' on the rear of the dorsal fin.

Recent research has shown that if constantly threatened by predators, these small damselfishes can grow a larger false ‘eye spot’ – and even more astounding, can also reduce the size of their real eyes. They are also able to recognise the UV facial patterns of individual Ambon Damselfish.


Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2018, Pomacentrus amboinensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2336

Ambon Damsel, Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker 1868

More Info


Distribution

Known in Australia from the Dampier Archipelago and off shore reefs of north Western Australia, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, to the Great Barrier Reef and reefs in the Coral Sea, to northern New South Wales, with juveniles as far south as Sydney, New South Wales. Elsewhere the species occurs in the west Pacific, from eastern Indonesia to Tonga, and north to southern Japan.

Commonly seen in small groups in lagoons, inshore reefs, reef passages and on outer reef slopes, inhabiting sandy areas around outcrops.

Feeding

Omnivore - feeds mostly on algae, and also consumes zooplankton.

Biology

Forms pairs during the breeding season. Females lay demersal adhesive eggs that are guarded and aerated by the male parent until the larvae hatch.

Species Citation

Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker, 1868, Verslag. Mededeel. Konink. Akad. Wetensch. 2 2: 334. Type locality: Ambon, Indonesia.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2018

Resources

Australian Faunal Directory

Ambon Damsel, Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker 1868

References


Allen, G.R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas. New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 237 pp. 251 figs.

Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Melle, Germany : Mergus Verlag 271 pp.

Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91 

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. 

Allen, G. R. 2001. Family Pomacentridae. pp. in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Bellwood, D.R. & Fisher, R. 2001. Relative swimming speeds in reef fish larvae. Marine Ecology Progress Series 211: 299-303.
Bleeker, P. 1868. Description de trois espèces inédites de poissons des îles d'Amboine et de Waigiou. Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen (Afdeeling Natuurjunde). Amsterdam 2 2: 331-335.

Brothers, E.B., Williams, D.McB. & Sale, P.F. 1983. Length of larval life in twelve families of fishes at 'One Tree Lagoon', Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Marine Biology 76: 319-324.

Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp.

Grant, E.M. 1991. Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : EM Grant Pty Ltd 480 pp.

Hall, A.E. & Clark, T.D. 2016. Seeing is believing: metabolism provides insight into threat perception for a prey species of coral reef fish. Animal Behaviour 115: 117-126 Abstract http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.008.

Heyward, A. et al. 2012. Monitoring Study S6B Corals Reefs, Montara: 2011 Shallow Reef Surveys at Ashmore, Cartier and Seringapatam Reefs. Final Report for PTTEP Australasia (Ashmore Cartier) Pty. Ltd. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville. 163 pp.

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270

Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 709-762 

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Killen, S. S., Mitchell, M. D., Rummer, J. L., Chivers, D. P., Ferrari, M. C. O., Meekan, M. G., McCormick, M. I. 2014. Aerobic scope predicts dominance during early life in a tropical damselfish. Functional Ecology. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12296 PDF

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293 

Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp.

Marshall, T.C. 1964. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coastal Waters of Queensland. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 566 pp. 136 pls.

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.

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.

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.

Thresher, R.E., Colin, P.L. & Bell, L.J. 1989. Planktonic duration, distribution and population structure of western and central Pacific damselfishes (Pomacentridae). Copeia 1989(2): 420-434.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37372106

Depth:2-40 m

Fishing:Aquarium fish

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:11 cm TL

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map