King Damselfish (species: Chrysiptera caesifrons) in Lizard Island Field Guide (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Lizard Island Field Guide > Marine Life > Bony fishes > Pomacentridae > Chrysiptera caesifrons (gallery)
Chrysiptera caesifrons
King Damselfish


©Anne Hoggett: Chrysiptera caesifrons on the reef crest at South Island, Lizard Island Group

©Anne Hoggett: Chrysiptera caesifrons on the reef flat at Lizard Island

©Makeely Blandford: Juvenile Chrysiptera caesifrons at Big Vicki's Reef, Lizard Island.

show or add records

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Pomacentridae
Genus Chrysiptera
Species Chrysiptera caesifrons

Show in taxonomy
Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island area: all known taxa

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

Grey/blue on upper head and anterior back, fading to very pale orange to white below and posteriorly. A small black spot near top of gill cover. Juveniles more brightly coloured and lack the black spot.

Size

  • Up to 6 cm (Length of specimen) - applies to Lizard Island specimens

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Similar taxa

Comments

This species was described by Allen et al (2015). On the GBR, it had been called Chrysiptera rex but Allen et al (2015) found that Chrysiptera rex does not occur on the GBR - it is an Indian Ocean species.

The undescribed Chrysiptera species (King Damselfish) illustrated in Allen and Erdmann (2012, vol II, page 595) is Chrysiptera caesifrons.

by Anne Hoggett

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island: Common on exposed reef flat areas, singly or in small groups.

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Allen and M.V. Erdmann, G.R. (2012). Reef fishes of the East Indies. Volumes I-III in: Reef fishes of the East Indies. Tropical Reef Research, Perth, Australia. LIRS catalog number 90162.

Other references

  • Allen, G.R., M.V. Erdmann and E.M. Kurniasih (2015). Chrysiptera caesifrons, a new species of damselfish (Pomacentridae) from the south-western Pacific Ocean, Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 15: 16-32. LIRS catalog number 90201.
  • Bay, L.K. (2005). The population genetic structure of coral reef fishes on the Great Barrier Reef, Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 967.
  • View all references