Banded Humbug, Dascyllus aruanus (Linnaeus 1758)
A Banded Humbug, Dascyllus aruanus, on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Source: Andy Lewis / Lizard Island Field Guide, http://lifg.australianmuseum.net.au/. License: CC BY Attribution
A small damselfish with three black bars on the head and body (of equal width), a large white spot between the eyes, black pelvic fins, and a black outer margin on the dorsal fin.
Banded Humbug, Dascyllus aruanus (Linnaeus 1758)
More Info
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Distribution |
Houtman Abrolhos to North West Cape, and offshore reefs of north Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and the far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, and reefs in the Coral Sea, to Sydney, New South Wales; also Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean, and the Lord Howe Province in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, Indo-west-central Pacific. Common inhabitants of shallow coral reef lagoons and subtidal reef flats. Lives in a close association with branching corals of the genera Acropora, Pocillopora and Stylophora. Commonly form aggregations around coral bommies, sheltering among the branches for protection. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin XII, 11-13; Anal fin II, 11-13; Pectoral fin 17-19; Gill rakers 21-26; Lateral line scales 15-19. |
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Size |
10 cm TL, 8.5 cm SL |
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Colour |
A black and white damselfish with three black bars, a large white spot between the eyes, black pectoral and pelvic fins and a white tail. |
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Feeding |
Feeds on zooplankton in the water column. |
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Biology |
Species of the genus Dascyllus are obligate coral dwellers. They are protogynous hermaphrodites, with females having the ability to change sex during their life cycle. One or two dominant males defend a single branching coral head with a harem of juveniles and females. In return for the shelter provided by the coral, the fish remove unwanted algal growth from the coral. Females spawn demersal adhesive eggs that are guarded by the male parent until the larvae hatch.
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Fisheries |
A popular aquarium fish. |
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Remarks |
Population genetics indicates that this species may involve a complex of at least two species. Liu et al. (2019) resurrected the name Dascyllus abudafur for Indian Ocean populations of this species - supported by acoustic research of Parmentier et al. (2021). On the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, the Banded Humbug hybridises with the Headband Humbug, Dascyllus reticulatus, (He et al. 2019). |
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Similar Species |
Most similar to Dascyllus melanurus which has the outer part of the tail black, a white outer margin on the middle part of the dorsal fin, and white lips. |
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Etymology |
The species is named for the type locality: the Aru Islands, Molucca Islands, Indonesia. |
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Species Citation |
Chaetodon aruanus Linnaeus 1758, Systema Naturae 1: 275. Type locality: "Habitat in Indiis" [Aru Islands, Molucca Islands, Indonesia] |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025 |
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Resources |
Banded Humbug, Dascyllus aruanus (Linnaeus 1758)
References
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