Scalyfin

Parma victoriae

Sea Life Endemic IUCN: Least Concern

About

Small territorial fishes that live on rocky reefs in bays, harbours and along the coast in southern Australia. Although Scalyfins change colour as they grow, they never have a distinct white patch on the gill cover - unlike the White-ear (Parma microlepis). Small juveniles are bright orange with neon-blue lines, spots and a black ocellus ringed with neon-blue on the dorsal fin. Large adults are dark greyish to black, or rusty-coloured, often becoming paler below, with a dusky head, and pale spots along lateral line. Divers are very familiar with these small damselfishes, especially during the breeding season when they aggresively guard their territories

Size

Scalyfin can grow to about 20 cm in length

Habitat

Scalyfins inhabit sheltered and moderately exposed rocky reefs and rocky estuaries, in depths of 1-35 m. The species is common and locally abundant in some areas, and juveniles often occur in tide pools

Distribution

Endemic to southern Australia, and widely distributed from about Wilsons Promontory (and possibly further east to Cape Howe), Victoria, to Jurien Bay, Western Australia, and northern Tasmania

Local Sightings

2 recorded sightings in and around the area.

References & citations (1)
  1. The Atlas of Living Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)

Header image: CC BY-SA 4.0 © Peter Southwood

Disclaimer: A lot of work goes into making sure identifications, descriptions, sizes, habitats and distribution details are as accurate as possible — but this information is ever-changing, so no guarantee is offered that it is correct or currently valid. Treat it as a guide and do a little of your own research for the latest word. Feedback and corrections are always welcome.