SOLITARY ISLANDS
UNDERWATER
RESEARCH GROUP, INC.

Species Index

Mecaenichthys immaculatus
(Ogilby, 1885)

Common Name: Immaculate Damsel

Distribution: Abundant in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed through Southwest Pacific region: east coast of Australia from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Frequent coastal rocky estuaries, offshore reefs and islands. Juveniles and adults share habitat, shallow inshore to at least 30 m depth offshore.

Additional Notes: Grey body darker on back and head, light belly with blue margins to rear of dorsal, anal and tail fins. Large eye and pointed head, extended rays on ventral fins. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding, after which eggs attached to the substrate and guarded by the male. Adult in top photograph, juvenile shown in lower photograph. Grows to 15 cms.

References: Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=mecaenichthys+immaculatus. Accessed 07/06/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Mecaenichthys-immaculatus.html. Accessed 07/06/18.