Animal Species:Threespot Humbug, Dascyllus trimaculatus (Ruppell, 1829)

Threespot Humbug are blue-black with dark scale margins. Juveniles have a white spot on the forehead and one on the side of the body. It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific

Threespot Humbug, Dascyllus trimaculatus

Threespot Humbug, Dascyllus trimaculatus
Jayne Jenkins © Jayne Jenkins

Alternative Name/s

Three-spot Dascyllus

Identification

Threespot Humbug are blue-black with dark scale margins. Juveniles have a white spot on the forehead and one on the side of the body. As an individual ages, the forehead spot disappears and the spot on the side of the body becomes indistinct or disappears.

Size range

The species grows to 13 cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea, throughout South-east Asia and Micronesia, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to the Pitcairn Islands. In Australia the Threespot Humbug is known from the north-western coast of Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, south to southern New South Wales and Lord Howe Island.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Dascyllus trimaculatus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Threespot Humbug specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It inhabits lagoons and coral reefs. Juveniles are often associated with large sea anemones and are sometimes seen with Anemone fish. As they grow, Threespot Humbug lose the ability to live in anemones. Adults occur in small to large aggregations. The species occurs in depths from 1m to 55m.

Feeding and Diet

The species feeds on algae, copepods and other planktonic crustaceans.

Classification

Species:
trimaculatus
Genus:
Dascyllus
Family:
Pomacentridae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas. TFH Publications. Pp. 237. Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Mergus. Pp. 271.
  2. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
  3. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 251.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Three-spot Dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus, Pomacentridae, black, white, 'normal fish', 10 cm - 30 cm, dots or spots, coral reef, marine, adult, white spot,