Genus Dascyl/us Cuvier, 1829
Nine species; 3 in our area. Recently revised by Randall
& Allen (1977).
KEY TO SPECIES
1a Soft D rays usually 12 (rarely 11 or 13); colour
of head and body pale with 3 black bars .. ... ........ ... ..... D. aruanus
1b Soft Drays 14-16; colour not as in la ......... .. ...... ..... .. ... ..... ..... 2
2a Preserved generally pale tan to brown, usually
with darker scale margins ; no contrasted pale
spot on upper side and forehead ; frequently a
black bar from D origin to V base; LL tubes absent
on C peduncle, instead grooves, pits or pores
present on mid-lateral scales ... .... .. ... ... ...... .... ......... .. D. carneus
2b Preserved generally brown to blackish , most
scales of body with darker marginal band ; often
a prominent pale spot dorsally on side or on
forehead , especially in smaller (less than 50 mm)
specimens ; no black bar from D origin to V base ;
1 or more well-developed tubed scales
mid-laterally on C peduncle ..... ..... .... ...... .... ...... . D. trimaculatus
219.25 Oascyl/us aruanus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
PLATE 89
Zebra humbug
Sebra-humbug
Chaetodon aruanus Linnaeus, 1758: 275 (Indies). Dascy/lus aruanus:
Smith , SFSA No. 749*; 1960: 327* ; Allen , 1975: 103*.
D XII ,l1-13; A 11 ,11-13; P 17-19; LL 15-19; GR (5-8)+(15-19). Depth
1.5-1.7; head 2.9-3 .1.
Attains 10 cm. Commonly forms aggregations of 30 or
more fish which shelter among branched madreporian
corals on sheltered reefs in 1 - 12 m. Tropical Indo-West
Pacific south to Durban, but rare south of Inhaca.
219.25 Dascyllus aruanus: 9 em (N . Mozambique).
219: POMACENTRIDAE (DAMSELFISHES)
219.26 Oascyl/us carneus
Fischer, 1885
PLATE 87
Twobar humbug
Tweebalk-humbug
Dascyllus carneus Fischer, 1885: 71, PI. 11 , Fig. 5 (Mozambique) ;
Smith, SFSA No. 750*; Randall & Allen , 1977: 368* . Dascy/lus marginatus (non Riippell): Smith , SFSA No. 753*. Dascyllus reticulatus (non
Richardson): Smith, 1960: 327* .
D XII,14-16; A 11,13-14; P 19-21; LL 17-19; GR (6-8)+(17-20). Depth
1.5-1.6; head 3.0-3.4.
Spinous D and A electric blue in life (the black membrane between the spines hardly registers), other fins pale.
Attains 7 cm . Inhabits reefs to at least 40 m, usually in
aggregations around small coral heads. Tropical Indian
Ocean and Java Sea south to Durban .
Domino
219.27 Oascyl/us trimaculatus
(Ruppell, 1829)
Domino
Pomacentrus trimaculatus Riippell, 1829: 39, PI. 8, Fig. 3 (Red Sea).
Dascy/lus axillaris Smith , 1935: 205, PI. 22, Fig. D (Great Fish Point);
SFSA No. 752. Dascyllus trimaculatus: Smith , SFSA No. 751*; 1960: 328*;
Allen , 1975: 106*; Randall & Allen, 1977: 360*.
D XII,14-16; A 11,14-15 ; P 20-21 ; LL 17-19; GR (6-8)+(16-19) . Depth
1.4-1.6; head 3.1-3.6.
Colour black to dark brown with 3 white spots. Adults
generally lose the forehead spot, and the spot on the upper
side is much reduced or frequently absent. Attains 14 cm.
Inhabits reefs to at least 55 m; juveniles usually associate
with sea anemones, Diadema sea urchins, or small coral
heads. Tropical Indo-West Pacific, south to Great Fish
Point.
219.27 Dascyllus trimaculatus: top: 2.5 em; bottom: 10.5 em (both N. Mozambique).
677
Nine species; 3 in our area. Recently revised by Randall
& Allen (1977).
KEY TO SPECIES
1a Soft D rays usually 12 (rarely 11 or 13); colour
of head and body pale with 3 black bars .. ... ........ ... ..... D. aruanus
1b Soft Drays 14-16; colour not as in la ......... .. ...... ..... .. ... ..... ..... 2
2a Preserved generally pale tan to brown, usually
with darker scale margins ; no contrasted pale
spot on upper side and forehead ; frequently a
black bar from D origin to V base; LL tubes absent
on C peduncle, instead grooves, pits or pores
present on mid-lateral scales ... .... .. ... ... ...... .... ......... .. D. carneus
2b Preserved generally brown to blackish , most
scales of body with darker marginal band ; often
a prominent pale spot dorsally on side or on
forehead , especially in smaller (less than 50 mm)
specimens ; no black bar from D origin to V base ;
1 or more well-developed tubed scales
mid-laterally on C peduncle ..... ..... .... ...... .... ...... . D. trimaculatus
219.25 Oascyl/us aruanus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
PLATE 89
Zebra humbug
Sebra-humbug
Chaetodon aruanus Linnaeus, 1758: 275 (Indies). Dascy/lus aruanus:
Smith , SFSA No. 749*; 1960: 327* ; Allen , 1975: 103*.
D XII ,l1-13; A 11 ,11-13; P 17-19; LL 15-19; GR (5-8)+(15-19). Depth
1.5-1.7; head 2.9-3 .1.
Attains 10 cm. Commonly forms aggregations of 30 or
more fish which shelter among branched madreporian
corals on sheltered reefs in 1 - 12 m. Tropical Indo-West
Pacific south to Durban, but rare south of Inhaca.
219.25 Dascyllus aruanus: 9 em (N . Mozambique).
219: POMACENTRIDAE (DAMSELFISHES)
219.26 Oascyl/us carneus
Fischer, 1885
PLATE 87
Twobar humbug
Tweebalk-humbug
Dascyllus carneus Fischer, 1885: 71, PI. 11 , Fig. 5 (Mozambique) ;
Smith, SFSA No. 750*; Randall & Allen , 1977: 368* . Dascy/lus marginatus (non Riippell): Smith , SFSA No. 753*. Dascyllus reticulatus (non
Richardson): Smith, 1960: 327* .
D XII,14-16; A 11,13-14; P 19-21; LL 17-19; GR (6-8)+(17-20). Depth
1.5-1.6; head 3.0-3.4.
Spinous D and A electric blue in life (the black membrane between the spines hardly registers), other fins pale.
Attains 7 cm . Inhabits reefs to at least 40 m, usually in
aggregations around small coral heads. Tropical Indian
Ocean and Java Sea south to Durban .
Domino
219.27 Oascyl/us trimaculatus
(Ruppell, 1829)
Domino
Pomacentrus trimaculatus Riippell, 1829: 39, PI. 8, Fig. 3 (Red Sea).
Dascy/lus axillaris Smith , 1935: 205, PI. 22, Fig. D (Great Fish Point);
SFSA No. 752. Dascyllus trimaculatus: Smith , SFSA No. 751*; 1960: 328*;
Allen , 1975: 106*; Randall & Allen, 1977: 360*.
D XII,14-16; A 11,14-15 ; P 20-21 ; LL 17-19; GR (6-8)+(16-19) . Depth
1.4-1.6; head 3.1-3.6.
Colour black to dark brown with 3 white spots. Adults
generally lose the forehead spot, and the spot on the upper
side is much reduced or frequently absent. Attains 14 cm.
Inhabits reefs to at least 55 m; juveniles usually associate
with sea anemones, Diadema sea urchins, or small coral
heads. Tropical Indo-West Pacific, south to Great Fish
Point.
219.27 Dascyllus trimaculatus: top: 2.5 em; bottom: 10.5 em (both N. Mozambique).
677