Generally brown with dark spots on body and light spots
on head. Attains 11 cm. Inhabits protected bays and mangrove areas in 1 - 4 m, congregates around wharf piles and
mooring buoys; 'known only from Bazaruto to Mombasa.
GenusParaglyphidodon Bleeker, 1876
Eight species; 1 or 2 in our area. Abudefduf xanthurus
(non Bleeker) (Smith, SFSA No. 763*), based on a painting
by Bell Marley, belongs to this genus, but without the specimen, it cannot be identified.
219.32 Paraglyphidodon melas
(Valenciennes, 1856)
PLATE 87
Zulu damsel
Zoeloe-nooientjie
Glyphisodon melas Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val. , 1830: 472 (Java) .
Abudefduf melas: Smith, 1960: 336*. Abudefduf melanopus: Smith, 1960:
336*. Abudefduf xanthonotus: Smith, 1961: 569, No. 759b. Paraglyphidodon melas: Allen , 1975: 183*. Paraglyphidodon melanopus:
Allen, 1975: 183*.
D XIII,13-15 ; A 11 ,12-15; P 18-19; LL 15-18; total GR 19-22. Depth
1.6-1.8; head 3.1-3.5.
Adults dark brown to black, including P. Juvenile
(melanopus variety) see Plate. Attains 18 cm. Inhabits coral
reefs about soft coral, to about 12 m. Tropical Indian Ocean
and Indo-Australian Archipelago.
219.32 Parag/yphidodon me/as: 13 em (N. Mozambique).
Genus Plectroglyphidodon Fowler & Ball, 1924
Nine species; 6 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a Body depth 2.1-2.4 in SL; soft Drays 14 or 15;
soft A rays usually 11; GR 10-12; body pale, head
and front part greyish dorsally; peduncle and C
yellow; black vertical bar across eye ................... P. imparipennis
1b Body depth usually 1.7-2.0 in SL; soft Drays 15-20;
soft A rays 12-18; GR 12-23; colour not as in la ....................... 2
219: POMACENTRIDAE (DAMSELFISHES)
2a GR 20-23; tubed LL scales 18-21; colour dark
brown with small blue spots (often obscure in
preservative) scattered on head and back ..... ... .. ..... . P. lacrymatus
2b GR 12-18; tubed LL scales 20-23; colour not as in 2a ...... .... ..... .. 3
3a Colour entirely brown or with 1-4 pale bars on sides;
Prays200r21 .................................................................. 4
3b Colour mostly pale tan to brown, without pale bars on
sides; Prays 18 or 19 ... ..... ...... .......... ......... ............. ............ 5
4a C peduncle with broad black bar bordered
anteriorly with narrow white bar; body dark brown
with 3-4 pale bars; soft D rays usually 16 or 17 ; A
rays usually 13 or 14 .......... .... ....... .. ............ .. .... P. phoenixensis
4b C peduncle without broad black bar; body
entirely dark brown or with a single pale bar below
base of about 4th-6th D spines; soft Drays
usually 15 (occasionally 16); A rays usually 12
(occasionally 13) ............................................... P. leucozonus
5a A rays usually 14; GR usually 16 or 17 ; lips not
swollen; colour mostly tan to brown with black
crescent-shaped bar, 4-5 scales wide, extending
from anterior soft D rays to tips of anterior
A rays .. ... ................ ..... ....... .......... ......... ...... ... ... ... P. dickii
5b A rays usually 16-18; GR 12-14; lips noticeably
swollen; colour either uniform tan or with diffuse
dark bar on rear ~ of body ..... ......... ........... ..... P. johnslOnianus
219.33 Plectroglyphidodon dickii
(Lienard, 1839)
PLATE 87
Narrowbar damsel
Smalbalk-nooientjie
Glyphisodon dickii Lienard, 1839: 35 (Mauritius) . Abudefduf dickii:
Smith, 1960: 335*; 1961 : 569, No. 759a*. Plectroglyphidodon dickii:
Allen, 1975: 195*; Smith, 1980: 181.
D XII ,16-18; A 11 ,14-16; P 18-19; LL 20-23 ; total GR 16-19. Depth
1.8-1.9; head 2.9-3.4.
Attains 11 cm. Inhabits coral reefs to about 12 m.
Tropical Indo-West Pacific, south to Sodwana Bay.
219.34 Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis
(Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875)
PLATE 88
Stop-start damsel
Stop-stap-nooientjie
Glyphisodon imparipennis Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875: 279 (Honolulu).
Abudefduf imparipennis: Smith, 1960: 338*. Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis: Allen, 1975: 195*.
D XII,14-15; A 11,11-12; P 20; LL 19-22; total GR 10-12; head 3.0-3.2.
Attains 6 cm. Inhabits rocky shores and reef flats which
are exposed to wave action in 0 - 3 m. Tropical Indo-West
Pacific to Hawaiian Ids.; south to Sodwana Bay.
679
on head. Attains 11 cm. Inhabits protected bays and mangrove areas in 1 - 4 m, congregates around wharf piles and
mooring buoys; 'known only from Bazaruto to Mombasa.
GenusParaglyphidodon Bleeker, 1876
Eight species; 1 or 2 in our area. Abudefduf xanthurus
(non Bleeker) (Smith, SFSA No. 763*), based on a painting
by Bell Marley, belongs to this genus, but without the specimen, it cannot be identified.
219.32 Paraglyphidodon melas
(Valenciennes, 1856)
PLATE 87
Zulu damsel
Zoeloe-nooientjie
Glyphisodon melas Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val. , 1830: 472 (Java) .
Abudefduf melas: Smith, 1960: 336*. Abudefduf melanopus: Smith, 1960:
336*. Abudefduf xanthonotus: Smith, 1961: 569, No. 759b. Paraglyphidodon melas: Allen , 1975: 183*. Paraglyphidodon melanopus:
Allen, 1975: 183*.
D XIII,13-15 ; A 11 ,12-15; P 18-19; LL 15-18; total GR 19-22. Depth
1.6-1.8; head 3.1-3.5.
Adults dark brown to black, including P. Juvenile
(melanopus variety) see Plate. Attains 18 cm. Inhabits coral
reefs about soft coral, to about 12 m. Tropical Indian Ocean
and Indo-Australian Archipelago.
219.32 Parag/yphidodon me/as: 13 em (N. Mozambique).
Genus Plectroglyphidodon Fowler & Ball, 1924
Nine species; 6 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a Body depth 2.1-2.4 in SL; soft Drays 14 or 15;
soft A rays usually 11; GR 10-12; body pale, head
and front part greyish dorsally; peduncle and C
yellow; black vertical bar across eye ................... P. imparipennis
1b Body depth usually 1.7-2.0 in SL; soft Drays 15-20;
soft A rays 12-18; GR 12-23; colour not as in la ....................... 2
219: POMACENTRIDAE (DAMSELFISHES)
2a GR 20-23; tubed LL scales 18-21; colour dark
brown with small blue spots (often obscure in
preservative) scattered on head and back ..... ... .. ..... . P. lacrymatus
2b GR 12-18; tubed LL scales 20-23; colour not as in 2a ...... .... ..... .. 3
3a Colour entirely brown or with 1-4 pale bars on sides;
Prays200r21 .................................................................. 4
3b Colour mostly pale tan to brown, without pale bars on
sides; Prays 18 or 19 ... ..... ...... .......... ......... ............. ............ 5
4a C peduncle with broad black bar bordered
anteriorly with narrow white bar; body dark brown
with 3-4 pale bars; soft D rays usually 16 or 17 ; A
rays usually 13 or 14 .......... .... ....... .. ............ .. .... P. phoenixensis
4b C peduncle without broad black bar; body
entirely dark brown or with a single pale bar below
base of about 4th-6th D spines; soft Drays
usually 15 (occasionally 16); A rays usually 12
(occasionally 13) ............................................... P. leucozonus
5a A rays usually 14; GR usually 16 or 17 ; lips not
swollen; colour mostly tan to brown with black
crescent-shaped bar, 4-5 scales wide, extending
from anterior soft D rays to tips of anterior
A rays .. ... ................ ..... ....... .......... ......... ...... ... ... ... P. dickii
5b A rays usually 16-18; GR 12-14; lips noticeably
swollen; colour either uniform tan or with diffuse
dark bar on rear ~ of body ..... ......... ........... ..... P. johnslOnianus
219.33 Plectroglyphidodon dickii
(Lienard, 1839)
PLATE 87
Narrowbar damsel
Smalbalk-nooientjie
Glyphisodon dickii Lienard, 1839: 35 (Mauritius) . Abudefduf dickii:
Smith, 1960: 335*; 1961 : 569, No. 759a*. Plectroglyphidodon dickii:
Allen, 1975: 195*; Smith, 1980: 181.
D XII ,16-18; A 11 ,14-16; P 18-19; LL 20-23 ; total GR 16-19. Depth
1.8-1.9; head 2.9-3.4.
Attains 11 cm. Inhabits coral reefs to about 12 m.
Tropical Indo-West Pacific, south to Sodwana Bay.
219.34 Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis
(Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875)
PLATE 88
Stop-start damsel
Stop-stap-nooientjie
Glyphisodon imparipennis Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875: 279 (Honolulu).
Abudefduf imparipennis: Smith, 1960: 338*. Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis: Allen, 1975: 195*.
D XII,14-15; A 11,11-12; P 20; LL 19-22; total GR 10-12; head 3.0-3.2.
Attains 6 cm. Inhabits rocky shores and reef flats which
are exposed to wave action in 0 - 3 m. Tropical Indo-West
Pacific to Hawaiian Ids.; south to Sodwana Bay.
679