Common Name: Dick’s Damsel

Distribution: Relatively common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: East Africa to the Line and Tuamoto islands, north to Japan, south to Australia. In Australia recorded from Geraldton in Western Australia to the southern Timor Sea, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.

Ecological Notes: Adults frequent coral rich and surge areas of clear lagoon and seaward reefs. Frequently associated with Pocillopora or Acropora corals. Depth to 15 m.

Additional Notes: Dusky yellow body with narrow black bar towards rear of body, lighter tail. Similar to and sometimes confused with the Johnston Damsel Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus which is similar in colouration and body shape but has a wider black bar and yellow tail. This species feeds on filamentous algae and small benthic invertebrates. Wary and difficult to approach, readily retreating to cover. Males and females pair during breeding, the resulting eggs are demersal and attached to the substrate where they are aerated and guarded by the male.  Grows to 11 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.269.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=plectroglyphidodon+dickii. Accessed 01/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Plectroglyphidodon-dickii.html. Accessed 01/07/18.