Microspathodon bairdii
Bumphead damselfish
Similar Species
Distribution
Tropical Eastern Pacific
Description
Large, dark damsel with a hump on top of the head that gets larger with age, often with lighter bands on on head and fore-body and blue irises. Juveniles with blue sides and back and an orange belly. Adults usually inhabit rocky areas exposed to wave action and currents.
Information
Max Size: 25 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 21.2-30.4°C
Depth: 1-15m
Habitat Generalization Index: 2.87
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Frequent (12.3% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (2 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields