Blue Demoiselle (female)

Chrysiptera cyanea is a species of damselfish native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

Description

This fish reaches 8.5 centimeters in length. It is bright blue in color; the male has a yellow snout and tail, and the female and juvenile usually lack yellow but have a black spot at the base of the back edge of the dorsal fin.

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: eastern edge of the Indian Ocean and Western Australia to New Guinea, New Britain, Solomon Islands, Marianas and Caroline Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan and Ryukyu Islands. Also known from Vanuatu and New Caledonia; Palau and Yap in Micronesia, Samoa.

Habitat

The fish inhabits reefs and lagoons. Its diet includes algae, tunicates, and copepods. Male and female pair up for breeding, and the male guards and tends the eggs.