Common Name: Whiteband Damsel

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Pitcairn and Marshall Islands, north to southern Japan and south to Australia. In Australia recorded from the Houtmann Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia, around the north of the state and including Ashmore Reef, in Queensland from the northern Great Barrier Reef south to around Sydney in New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Adults frequent surge zones on exposed shorelines, offshore reefs and slopes, with juveniles found in more protected pockets of the reef. Depth from 0 to 6 m.

Additional Notes: Due to its likeness for surge zone habitat, this species not often observed in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Sometimes mistaken for juveniles of other species, juveniles and intermediate phases are best recognised by the white bordered blue/black spot near the base of the spinous dorsal fin and a smaller similar coloured spot on the top of the caudal peduncle. Adults are bronze or yellow/brown as opposed to the grey colouration of similar Parma unifasciata. Feeds on benthic algae, eggs are demersal and attached to the substrate where they are guarded and aerated by the male. Grows to 12 cm.

References: Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.243.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=plectroglyphidodon+leucozonus. Accessed 02/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Plectroglyphidodon-leucozonus.html. Accessed 02/07/18.