Neoglyphidodon melas
| Neoglyphidodon melas | |
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| Adult (top) and juvenile (bottom) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Pomacentridae |
| Genus: | Neoglyphidodon |
| Species: | N. melas
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| Binomial name | |
| Neoglyphidodon melas (Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1830)
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| Synonyms | |
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List
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Neoglyphidodon melas, also known as the “bowtie damselfish” or “black damselfish”, is a species of tropical reef fish known for its characteristic bowtie shaped pectoral fins and dark adult coloration. Damselfish (Pomacentridae) are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates on the planet, with over 328 identified species, 268 of which reside throughout the Indo West Pacific region. Pomacentridae’s iterative convergent evolutionary radiation may have been fueled by the diverse competition pressures amongst damselfishes, and the establishment of coral reefs in locations like the Indo West Pacific.[2] [3] These fish display a wide variety of feeding behaviors and occupy different ecological roles, allowing for such high species diversity.
Description
[edit]The bowtie damselfish may be identified by its dark blue-black coloration in adulthood, and bright juvenile pigments. Young bowtie damselfish are pale blue with a yellow stripe across their dorsal surface. They sport yellow lined caudal fin rays, and bright blue anal and pelvic fins with dark outer rays.[4] Bowtie damselfish possess 13 dorsal spines, 13 to 15 soft dorsal rays, 2 anal spines, and 12 to 15 soft anal rays. The bowtie damselfish’s compressed body allows them to navigate through tight crevices in coral reefs, while their long pectoral fins further aid in maneuverability and agility.[5] Bowtie damselfish may grow from 11.8 to 18 centimeters, reaching 100 grams at maturity, and they may be commonly found between depths of 1 to 12 meters.[6]
Similar Species
[edit]Due to their similar compressed body shapes and blue and yellow coloration, N. melas may be confused with fellow damselfish Chrysiptera brownriggii, commonly known as the surge damselfish. These species both inhabit shallow lagoons and coral reefs, and have small, compressed body plans with blue and yellow stripes at some point in their lives. Yet the surge damselfish has a yellow body with a blue dorsal surface, while the juvenile bowtie damselfish has a yellow dorsal surface and light blue body, making it easy to distinguish between the two.
Distribution
[edit]The bowtie damselfish (N. melas) may be found throughout the Indo West Pacific region, with sightings in the Red Sea, East Africa, the Indo-Malayan archipelago, Taiwan, the Ryuku Islands, Palau, New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Northern Australia. The preferred temperature range of the bowtie damselfish sits between 25 and 29ºC, making these regions ideal. They are found in coralline, rocky lagoons, and marine reefs that contain soft corals which constitute the majority of their diets.[6]
Juveniles are frequently found in and around Acropora corals, commonly known as the ‘staghorn’ corals. Young bowtie damselfish may inhabit these structures for protection and access to food, while adults are found near giant Tridacna clams, which they rely on for sustenance. The unique relationship between Tridacna clams and Neoglyphidodon melas means sightings of the fish are limited to the Tridacna’s range, and their relative abundance is low when compared to other damselfishes.[5]
Life History
[edit]Mating
[edit]Bowtie damselfish create unique pairings during mating, although the timing of such events has not been observed. Similar to other damselfish, female N. melas are oviparous meaning they lay eggs for external fertilization during reproduction. After forming a pair, the female bowtie damselfish lays her eggs, adhering them with a sticky substance to a flat reef surface such as a ledge, rock or a shell. After external fertilization the female departs, and the male stays to defend his partners’ eggs from predation. During this time the male frequently aerates his eggs with his fins until hatching occurs, typically 3 to 7 days post fertilization. Bowtie damselfish are often spotted in pairs during this season, as parent fish bond.[5]
Larval Stage
[edit]The natural lifespan of wild Neoglyphidodon melas is currently unknown, although their captive lives range from 2 to 3 years.[7]
After their eggs hatch, larval bowtie damselfish spend time in a planktonic stage, during which they float in the water column, consuming other plankton while they grow. The duration of the planktonic larval stage in damselfishes may be determined by the structure of the fish’s otolith, and the development of morphologically different isolated populations.[4] Across all damselfish the average planktonic stage may last from 0 to 37.4 days, although this number varies greatly across species.[8] The exact planktonic period of larval N. melas is currently unknown.
Diet
[edit]Bowtie damselfish are coprophagous organisms, as the adults feed on the nutrient rich feces of the giant clams, Tridacna gigas. Larval bowtie damselfish feed solely on plankton, and are found living around the stalks of Acropora corals, potentially for protection and access to passing food. Juvenile bowtie damselfish feed mainly on soft corals, which constitutes 87% of their preferred diet.[citation needed] Once the fish reaches full maturation it will find a giant Tridacna clam of its own to live near, consuming its excrement in addition to its soft coral diet. As age and size of the adult bowtie damselfish increase, so does its consumption of Tridacna clam waste. The feces of the giant Tridacna clam provides essential proteins for the adult bowtie damselfish, and increases its chance of survival and reproduction.[5] Adult bowtie damselfish lacking a residential giant clam display higher signs of aggression towards other fish than those with their own Tridacna clam, likely due to food instability.[5] Competition between bowtie damselfish increases with resource scarcity, and fish near clams are more likely to grow larger and find mates.
Trophic Location
[edit]Bowtie damselfish are an important prey organism of many higher trophic level fish, including the coral grouper, Plectropomus leopardus, which is important to the local fishing industries of the Indo West Pacific.[9]
Juvenile Neoglyphidodon melas also play an important role in transferring energy from plankton and other microorganisms to the local reef ecosystem. Adult bowtie damselfish aid with the recycling of waste from giant clams, returning nutrients back to the coral reef ecosystem.
Disease
[edit]Bowtie damselfish in the Red Sea are susceptible to infection from the bacteria Tenacibaculum maritimus. Their vulnerability to such bacterial infection may be exacerbated by stress from high levels of catch due to overfishing in the area, or indoor rearing. Symptoms of a T. maritimus infection in N. melas may present as anorexia, erratic swimming, hemorrhagic skin, oral ulcers and fin rot, and mortality rates reach 60% as a result of infection. In the past T. maritimus outbreaks have led to collapses in important fish cultures from Japan to North America, and the novel infections in the Red Sea have raised concerns.[10]
Conservation Status
[edit]Bycatch Stress
[edit]N. melas has become a key recreational species on the Seribu Islands, where they are commonly caught as bycatch in fishing pots. Locals target larger and more profitable species in the area such as groupers, but bowtie damselfish are often caught instead. Due to their small size only the large adults are edible, and the minimum commercial size for N. melas on the Seribu Islands is 11.8 centimeters and 100 grams. Any N. melas under this edible limit are either returned from docks post-catch, or discarded posthumously. Individuals released after bycatch have a high risk of mortality due to prolonged air-exposure, improper handling, and relocation to unsuitable habitats.[9] As seen in locations like the Red Sea, stress from catch may leave the bowtie damselfish vulnerable for infections such as the case with T. maritimus. In areas with high bycatch due to overfishing and a lack of escape vents in fishing pots, there have been reduced egg yields and general population declines in local bowtie damselfish populations.[6] N. melas does not have a designated fishery anywhere in the world, nor does it directly support any existing industry.
Anthropogenic Sound
[edit]In areas of high human activity and marine industry the reaction speeds and response distances of N. melas have been observed to be impacted by the underwater noises caused by aquaculture and boats.[11]
This may imply a reduced survival rate and higher susceptibility to predation for the species as marine industry expands in densely populated areas such as Taiwan. Despite these challenges the bowtie damselfish remains a species of least concern according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.[12] New infections in N. melas and the increased rate of catch and sound stress in some areas of the Indo West Pacific may indicate a troubled future for the fish.
Coral Die Off
[edit]Acrapora coral are known for their ability to build essential, intricate, three dimensional coral reefs, and are one of the most diverse and important corals in global reef systems. Larval and juvenile bowtie damselfish rely on Acrapora corals for survival, as the tall structures provide protection and access to food. Due to anthropogenic climate change Acrapora have begun to disappear across the globe, being one of the most vulnerable corals to climate stressors. The disappearance of their essential food and habitat access could pose detrimental threats to the bowtie damselfish.[13] [14]
References
[edit]
- ^ Allen, G.R.; Arceo, H.; Mutia, M.T.M.; Muyot, F.B.; Nañola, C.L.; Santos, M. (2022). "Neoglyphidodon melas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022 e.T188512A1886115. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T188512A1886115.en. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ Nañola, Cleto (23 Sep 2021). "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 10 Oct 2025.
- ^ Emslie, Michael J. (2019). "The Distribution of Planktivorous Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) on the Great Barrier Reef and the Relative Influences of Habitat and Predation". Diversity. 11 (3): 33.
- ^ a b Thresher, Ronald E. (1989). "Planktonic Duration, Distribution and Population Structure of Western and Central Pacific Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)". Copeia. 1989 (2): 420–434.
- ^ a b c d e Bray, Dianne J. "Black Damsel, Neoglyphidodon melas (Cuvier 1830)". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 10 Oct 2025.
- ^ a b c Chan, Sai-Wing (2007). "Ontogenetic Changes in Feeding Ecology and Habitat of the Damselfish Neoglyphidodon Melas at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef". Independent Study Project Collection. School for International Training. Retrieved 10 Oct 2025.
- ^ Sin, T.M. (1994). "The Damselfishes (Pisces: Osteichthyes: Pomacentridae) of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore: Systematics, Ecology and Conservation". Hydrobiologia. 285: 49–58.
- ^ Frédérich, Bruno (Jan 2013). "Iterative Ecological Radiation and Convergence During the Evolutionary History of Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)". The American Naturalist. 181 (1): 94–113.
- ^ a b Iskandar, Dahri (2011). "Effect of Escape Vent on Catchability and Selectivity of Pot for Black Damsel (Neoglyphidodon melas)". Journal of Coastal Development.
- ^ McCord, Charlene L. (27 Oct 2021). "Phylogeny of the Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) and Patterns of Asymmetrical Diversification in Body Size and Feeding Ecology". PLOS ONE. 16 (10).
- ^ Hasheim, Mahmoud; Haridy, Mohie (2014). "Pathological Findings of Tenacibaculum maritimus Infection in Black Damselfish, Neoglyphidodon melas and Picasso Triggerfish, Rhinecanthus assasi, in Red Sea, Egypt". Journal of Veterinary Science & Technology. 6 (2).
- ^ Price, Nathan William (Aug 2023). "Acute Noise Is Harmful on the Anti-Predator Behaviour of Commercially Important Juvenile Coral Reef Fishes". Behavioural Processes. 210.
- ^ Renema, Willem (2016). "Are Coral Reefs Victims of Their Own Past Success?". Science Advances. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500850.
- ^ Garra, Stephanie (28 Jul 2020). "The Effects of Predation on the Condition of Soft Corals". Coral Reefs. 39 (5): 1329–1343.
External links
[edit]- Photos of Neoglyphidodon melas in the Sealife Collection