Neoglyphidodon melas
Royal damsel | Black Damsel | Bluefin Damsel | Bowtie Damsel | Zulu Damsel
Neoglyphidodon melas, adult, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Neoglyphidodon melas, juvenile, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Similar Species
Distribution
Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Adult blue-black to jet black with no distinctive features. Similar to Hemiglyphidodon plagiometopon (Lagoon Damsel) but with slightly rounder body and higher dorsal fin. Elegant appearance. Juvenile distinctive white, yellow and blue markings, usually found around staghorn corals.
Information
Max Size: 18 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 21.6-31.3°C
Depth: 1-12m
Habitat Generalization Index: 17.96
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: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Common (33.4% 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: Several (6 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.