Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ovalentaria/misc (Various families in series Ovalentaria) >
Pomacentridae (Damselfishes) > Pomacentrinae
Etymology: Pomacentrus: Greek, poma, -atos = cover, operculum + Greek, kentron = sting (Ref. 45335); vatosoa: Name means 'beautiful stone' in Malagasy, referring to the opalescent or pearlescent qualities of the new species in life..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 15 - 20 m (Ref. 120617). Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 120617)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 14; Vertebrae: 26. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: D XIV,13-14; A II, 14; pectoral-fin rays 18-19; tubed lateral-line scales 19-20; gill rakers 5-6 + 17-18 = 22-24; absence of distinct notch between infraorbitals 1 and 2. Colour pattern unique with body pearlescent-white, with a large irregular black spot midlaterally behind posterior tip of pectoral fin; a black saddle about equal size on the dorsal edge of caudal peduncle, edged distally with iridescent blue; presence of a fuliginous recurved band extending from the posterior orbit to origin of dorsal fin; with a small black spot on dorsal edge of pectoral-fin axil (Ref. 120617).
Occurs singly or in pairs, above sheltered low-lying reefs. It is unknown whether or not it is more widespread for previous surveys of Malagasy and western Indian Ocean reefs did not report the occurrence of this species (Ref. 120617).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Frable, B.W. and Y.-K. Tea, 2019. A new species of damselfish (Teleostei: Pomacentridae: Pomacentrus) from Nosy Faho, Madagascar. Copeia 107(2):323-331. (Ref. 120617)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01479 (0.00642 - 0.03409), b=3.00 (2.80 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.8 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
![Image of Pomacentrus vatosoa (Corazon\](/images/thumbnails/gif/tn_POMACET0.gif "Image of Pomacentrus vatosoa (Corazon\")
