Bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Stegastes partitus
- Common name
- Bicolor damselfish
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Pomacentridae
- Genus
- Stegastes
- Size
- 6–10 cm
- Depth
- 1–30 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- reef
- Behaviours
- solitary, territorial
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Eastern Pacific
Description
Stegastes partitus reaches 10 cm. Recognizable by its strongly bicolor livery: white or pale yellow front third, dark brown to black rear two-thirds. Extremely territorial, aggressively defending a small algal territory on corals, even charging divers. Lives alone or in pairs on Caribbean reefs from 1 to 30 m. Literally farms an algal garden that it feeds on.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Bicolor damselfish?
- Bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus) reaches 6–10 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Bicolor damselfish?
- Bicolor damselfish is found between 1–30 m deep.
- Is the Bicolor damselfish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Bicolor damselfish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Bicolor damselfish?
- Found in: Caribbean, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Stegastes
- Stegastes adustus - Dusky damselfish
- Stegastes diencaeus - Longfin damselfish
- Stegastes planifrons - Threespot damselfish
- Stegastes acapulcoensis - Acapulco damselfish
- Stegastes flavilatus - Beaubrummel damselfish
- Stegastes leucorus - White-tailed Damselfish
Other species in the family Pomacentridae
- Chromis chromis - Mediterranean damselfish
- Amphiprion bicinctus - Two-band anemonefish
- Amphiprion ocellaris - False clownfish
- Chromis cyanea - Blue chromis
- Amphiprion akallopisos - Skunk clownfish
- Chromis limbata - Azores chromis
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 276677)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2398881)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia