Species: Microspathodon chrysurus, Yellowtail damselfish

Microspathodon chrysurus (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1830)

Yellowtail damselfish

Body deep, oblong, thick, compressed; 1 pair of nostrils; preorbital bone (before & under front of eye) very broad, deep, with pronounced notch over top jaw; margins of preopercle and suborbital bone under rear of eye smooth, scaled; mouth small, protrusible, opens at front; teeth in single row, thick upper teeth flexible, forming a brush, lower jaw teeth in 1 row, stout, incisors; a single continuous dorsal fin, XII, 14-15 rays; anal fin II, 12-13; no projecting short spines at upper and lower base of tail fin; caudal fin bluntly forked; scales are moderately large and rough; body scaled, head largely scaled, as are the basal parts of the median fins; lateral line incomplete, ends under end of dorsal fin base; lateral line scales 20-22.