Home · Pomacentridae · Blue-peppered damsel
Blue-peppered damsel (Chrysiptera oxycephala) — Pomacentridae

Blue-peppered damsel

Chrysiptera oxycephala
Family: Pomacentridae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue-peppered damsel (Chrysiptera oxycephala) is a brackish-water fish of the family Pomacentridae that grows up to 9 cm.

Length
9 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
1.0–20.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The blue-peppered damsel is a small damselfish from the western Pacific and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. The species grows to about 9 cm and has a greenish to brownish body sprinkled with numerous bright blue dots. It lives on coral-rich lagoon and coastal reefs, often among branching coral into which it darts when threatened, and feeds on algae and small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans, occurs in the aquarium trade and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue-peppered damsel?

The Blue-peppered damsel has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly blue and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Blue-peppered damsel live?

The Blue-peppered damsel lives in brackish water and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Blue-peppered damsel get?

The Blue-peppered damsel grows to a maximum of about 9 cm.

Is the Blue-peppered damsel dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue-peppered damsel is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue-peppered damsel edible?

The Blue-peppered damsel is not usually eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwgespikkelde juffer verified
English name
Blue-peppered damsel verified
Scientific name
Chrysiptera oxycephala
Family
Pomacentridae
Other names
Bluespot damselfish; Bluespot demoiselle; Blue-spot demoiselle verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
9.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Blue inferred
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Chrysiptera

More from the family Pomacentridae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →