Neoglyphidodon melas

Neoglyphidodon melas (bowtie damselfish, black damsel, bluefin or royal damsel) is a damselfish from the Indo-West Pacific.[1] It often makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 18 cm (7.1 in) in length.

Neoglyphidodon melas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Pomacentridae
Genus: Neoglyphidodon
Species:
N. melas
Binomial name
Neoglyphidodon melas
(Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1830)
Synonyms
  • Glyphisodon melas Cuvier, 1830
  • Abudefduf melas (Cuvier, 1830)
  • Paraglyphidodon melas (Cuvier, 1830)
  • Glyphisodon ater Cuvier, 1830
  • Glyphisodon melanopus Bleeker, 1856
  • Abudefduf melanopus (Bleeker, 1856)
  • Paraglyphidodon melanopus (Bleeker, 1856)
  • Glyphisodon xanthonotus Bleeker, 1859
  • Abudefduf xanthonotus (Bleeker, 1859)
  • Abudefduf rhomaleus Snyder, 1911

Distribution and habitat

The black damselfish is found throughout the Indo-Pacific in coral reefs and lagoons.[1] In the Indian Ocean, they are found around the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, eastern Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, the Arabian Sea, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the Andaman Sea, Indonesia, and western Australia.[1] In the Pacific Ocean, they are found in areas around Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands.[1] they are found in depths of 1 to 36 metres (3.3 to 118.1 ft) under sea level.[2]

Description

The adults of this species can grow up to 18 cm (7.1 in) in length.[1] The coloration of the adults are blueish black.[2] Juveniles are mostly pale blue with a yellow dorsal surface. They have blue pelvic and anal fins with black interior rays.[2]

Ecology

Fish of this species are typically encountered individually or in pairs.[1] Juveniles are encountered around Acropora corals. Adults are found around clams of the genus Tridacna and sometimes feed on their waste.

Diet

Neoglyphidodon melas is an omnivorous species of damselfish which feeds on a variety of things. Younger juveniles feed solely on plankton.[3] Older juveniles of this species add soft corals to their diet.[3] Young adults feed on Tridacna clam feces, with feces consumption increasing with age and size.[3]

Behavior

Adults are territorial towards one another and will defend territorial borders. Large adults are observed to be aggressive to smaller individuals.[3] The larger the individual, the more aggressive it gets.[4] They are also known to attack larger fish than themselves.[4]

In the aquarium

This species of fish is often found in the aquarium hobby.[4] In the aquarium, this fish species can grow to a maximum size of 16 cm (6.3 in).[4] People typically keep them in tanks of 208.2 liters (55 US gallons). The average lifespan of this species in captivity is 2 to 3 years.[4] As for most marine species, it is kept in a pH of 8.1 to 8.4, and a water hardness of 6° to 10°.[4] The temperature normally provided for this fish is 23.3 °C to 27.8 °C or 74 °F to 82 °F.[4] Most people will keep this fish alone.[4]

Breeding

Adults pair up when they are breeding.[1] The eggs are laid in the substrate. Once the eggs are laid, the male guards and aerates the eggs until they hatch.[1]

References
  1. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2008). "Neoglyphidodon melas" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
  2. Dianne J. Bray. "Black Damsel, Neoglyphidodon melas (Cuvier 1830), Retrieved on 16 November 2014.
  3. Chan, Sai-Wing. "Ontogenetic Changes in Feeding Ecology and Habitat of the Damselfish Neoglyphidodon melas at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef", 1 November 2007. Retrieved on 15 November 2014.
  4. http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Neoglyphidodon_melas
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