Eye Spot Damselfish

Eye Spot Damselfish (Pomacentrus andamanensis)

Eye Spot Damselfish was described based on 45 specimens ranging from 19.8 to 64.3 mm in lateral length, collected from coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, specifically in the Andaman Sea off western Thailand. This species is also found in the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, and the northwestern tip of Sumatra, as indicated by collections, tissue samples, underwater photographs, and observations. This species is closely related to Pomacentrus amboinensis from the western Pacific and Pomacentrus bipunctatus from Micronesia. The primary distinguishing feature of Eye Spot Damselfish is its adult coloration, particularly the presence of a prominent ocellus on the posterior dorsal fin, which is only found in juveniles of the other species. In general, Eye Spot Damselfish exhibits a pale lavender to bluish-gray coloration on the upper two-thirds of its body and the dorsal portion of its head. The snout, cheek, operculum, thorax, abdomen, and caudal peduncle are yellow. Each body scale features 1-3 small blue spots, with pale lavender markings on the sides of the head and a small greenish spot on the upper operculum near the origin of the lateral line. The iris is yellow with a blue stripe near the upper and lower margins and a small blue spot behind the upper posterior corner of the pupil. The dorsal and anal fins are yellowish with blue to pale lavender stripes and spots, including a prominent neon green spot outlined in black located between the sixth and eleventh soft fin rays. The caudal and pelvic fins are yellow with a fine blue outer margin, while the pectoral fins are translucent with a small blackish spot at the base of the uppermost rays.