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.
Adult: head and body grey-brown, usually with scattered iridescent blue spots on upper part; tail fin paler than body and often yellow. Juvenile: dark blue with scattered intensely iridescent blue spots; clear or yellow tail fin.
Reaches 21 cm.
Coral and rock reefs.
Depth range: 0-62 m, usually in 1-10 m depth.
Bermuda to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Corallivore
- Data
- Ectoparasite cleaner
- Omnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Benthic microalgae
- Ectoparasites
- Hard corals
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 21
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 62