Pomacentrus amboinensis is a damselfish from the Western Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 9 cm in length.
| Pomacentrus amboinensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Family: | Pomacentridae |
| Genus: | Pomacentrus |
| Species: | P. amboinensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Pomacentrus amboinensis Bleeker, 1868
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| Synonyms | |
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Pomacentrus dimidiatus Bleeker, 1877 | |
They live in small groups of one mature male that guards a nest site on the seafloor and several females.[1] Once settled, females rarely migrate. New juveniles can usually join groups easily.[2] As they reach sexual maturity, they usually lose their "eyespot" on their dorsal fin. P. amboinensis is a protogynous species - all individuals start out as females and later can turn into males. However some males retain the appearance of juveniles, probably to sneak into the harems of dominant males.[2]
This species has been shown to have colour vision using behavioral experiments that control for brightness, apparently being the first known example of colour discrimination in reef fish.[3]
References edit
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2008). "Pomacentrus amboinensis" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
- ^ Maddams, J. C.; McCormick, M. I. (2012). Browman, Howard (ed.). "Not All Offspring Are Created Equal: Variation in Larval Characteristics in a Serially Spawning Damselfish". PLOS ONE. 7 (11): e48525. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...748525M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048525. PMC 3498294. PMID 23155389.
- ^ a b Gagliano, M.; Depczynski, M. (2013). Gerardo, Nicole M (ed.). "Spot the Difference: Mimicry in a Coral Reef Fish". PLOS ONE. 8 (2): e55938. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...855938G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055938. PMC 3572176. PMID 23418480.
- ^ Siebeck, U. E., Wallis, G. M., & Litherland, L. (2008). Colour vision in coral reef fish. Journal of Experimental Biology, 211(3), 354-360. doi: 10.1242/jeb.012880
External links edit
- Photos of Pomacentrus amboinensis on Sealife Collection
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