Whitetail dascyllus
📖 Overview
Territorial, inhabit shallow lagoon and subtidal reef flats. Form large aggregations above staghorn Acropora thickets or in smaller groups above isolated coral heads. Feed on zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and algae. Males invite females to spawn in their nests; protecting the eggs until they hatch and becoming very aggressive against other fish. Eggs hatch after 3-5 days; pelagic larvae feed on plankton . Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding . Used in behavioral study. Have been reared in captivity . Diurnal species .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 11 - 13. Color in life white with 3 black bars; a large brown spot on dorsal part of snout and interorbital; lips dusky or white; caudal fin pale; pelvic fins black; pectorals transparent. Margins of preorbital, suborbital, and preoperculum finely serrated . Body depth 1.5-1.7 in SL .: short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Whitetail dascyllus is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Male selects and protects the nest; does the courtship `dance' about 1 m above the nest and escorts the attracted female to the nest site where spawning ensues . Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding . Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate . Also Ref. 103751.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 20 m . Tropical; 38°N - 35°S, 19°E - 124°W north and east of Lombok Strait to Line, Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia.
🌿 Ecology
zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and algae
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | banded dascyllus · banded humbug · black and white damselfish · black-and-white damselfish · Humbug · humbug damselfish · Humbug Dascyllus · Three-stripe Damselfish · threestripe damselfish · White-tailed Damselfish · White-tailed Footballer · Whitetail Damselfish, Whitetail dascyllus · whitetail dascyllus · Zebra Humbug |
| 🏳️Catalan | Dascyllus ratllat del Pacífic |
| 🌍CES | komorník běloocasý |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Trestribet jomfrufisk |
| 🇩🇪German | Dreibinden-Preußenfisch |
| 🇫🇷French | Demoiselle à queue blanche · Demoiselle à trois bandes noires |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Damigella fasciata orientale · Damigella juventina orientale |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Misujiryukyusuzumedai · ミスジリュウキュウスズメダイ |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Markiezinnetje |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Donzela-de-cauda-branca |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Зебровидный дасцилл |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Damisela de tres Bandas |
| 🌍TAH | 'atoti |
| 🌍THA | ปลาสลิดหินม้าลาย |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 三帶圓雀鯛 · 三帶圓雀鯛(三間雀) · 三間雀 · 厚殼仔 · 宅泥魚 · 宅泥鱼 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abudefduf caroli | Curtiss | 1938 | Synonym |
| Chaetodon abudafar | Forsskål | 1775 | Synonym |
| Chaetodon arcuanus | Gmelin | 1789 | Synonym |
| Chaetodon aruanus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Dascyllus arnanus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Dascyllus blochii | Castelnau | 1875 | Synonym |
| Pomacentrus devisi | Jordan & Seale | 1906 | Synonym |
| Pomacentrus emamo | Lesson | 1831 | Synonym |
| Pomacentrus trifasciatus | De Vis | 1884 | Synonym |
| Tetradrachmum arcuatum | Cantor | 1850 | Synonym |
| Tetradrachmum aruanum | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
🦠 Common Diseases
The following diseases are known to affect Whitetail dascyllus.
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 75 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Whitetail dascyllus ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.