Vol. 40 No. 1, 2001

Dascyllus auripinnis, a New Pomacentrid Fish from Atolls of the Central Pacific Ocean

John E. Randall^1,* and Helen A. Randall¹

¹Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817-2704, USA

John E. Randall and Helen A. Randall (2001) A new damselfish (Pomacentridae) is described from 18 specimens from the Line Islands, one from the Phoenix Islands, and its presence in the northern Cook Islands is revealed by underwater photographs. It is distinctively colored with bright orange-yellow pelvic, anal, and caudal fins. Previously believed to be a color variant of D. trimaculatus, it differs, in addition to color, by having modally 1 fewer gill rakers and a shorter average length of the paired fins. There is also an indication that it attains a larger maximum size (largest, 115.2 mm SL).

Key words: Taxonomy, Pomacentridae, Dascyllus, Central Pacific.

*Correspondence: -