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Ambon Damsel
Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker, 1868
An Ambon Damsel at a depth of 21 m, north-west Solitary Island, New South Wales, June 2004. View larger image. Photo: Ian Shaw.
The Ambon Damsel can be recognised by its colouration. It is yellow to pale mauve with dark scale margins. There is a spot at the top of the operculum and another on the upper pectoral fin base. The head has pink to blue blotches. Juveniles have an ocellus on the soft dorsal fin. The ocellus fades as the fish grows.
The Ambon Damsel grows to 11 cm in length.
It occurs mostly on coral reefs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific.
In Australia it is known from off north-western Western Australia, around the north of the country and south to the northern coast of New South Wales. Juveniles have been recorded as far south as the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Ambon Damsel is also known as the Amboina Damselfish, Amboina Demoiselle and the Pallid Damsel-fish.
Related links
- Alexander's Damsel fact sheet
- Australian Damsel fact sheet
- Blackmargined Damsel fact sheet
- Blue Damsel fact sheet
- Scaly Damselfish fact sheet
- Speckled Damsel fact sheet
- View the Damselfish list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Mergus. Pp. 271.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
