Dusky damselfish
(Stegastes adustus)
Image source: Kerry Lewis | inaturalist.org
General data
Stegastes adustus, also known as the dusky damselfish or scarlet-backed demoiselle, is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. It is found at one to three meter depths on surging and wavy coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea, the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Max length : 15 cm
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-17; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 13 - 15.
Juveniles are reddish orange above, with small bright blue spots on forehead and dark spots at upper pectoral fin base, dorsal fin, and caudal peduncle; colors disappear as fish grows larger.
Adults dark gray to blackish with vertical black lines on body; a black spot, sometimes diffuse, at upper base of pectoral fins which are pale; other fins dark.
