POMACENTRIDAE


Neopomacentrus sororius, 5.0 cm SL
(photo by Richard Winterbottom)


Neopomacentrus sororius
Randall and Allen, 2005

D XIII, 11-12; A II, 11-12; P1 16-18; LLp 16-17.

Body relatively slender, compressed. Posterior margin of preopercle weakly serrate or near smooth. Ventral margin of suborbital concealed by scales. Teeth on jaws biserial, incisor-like. Caudal fin forked, with filamentous upper and lower lobes; no conspicuous projecting spine-like rays at upper and lower edges of caudalfin base. Color: head and body bluish gray, tinged with light green dorsally; caudal peduncle shading to yellow posteriorly; a small black (tinged with blue) blotch around dorsal end of gill opening; a similar-colored blotch at axil of pectoral fin, extending dorsally and forming wedge-shaped; base of pectoral fin dusky; posterior part of dorsal fin and anal and caudal fins yellow. Size: 7.0 cm SL. Distribution: Indian Ocean and Andaman Sea. Remarks: found in coral reefs or rocky bottom; feeds on plankton in aggregation. Closely related Western-Pacific congener Neopomacentrus azysron has a smaller black blotch at axil of pectoral fin (not extending dorsally) and many blue dots on anal fin.