Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Dascyllus trimaculatus

Katoti

Threespot Dascyllus

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult (main image) and juveniles in anemone ((Rarotonga)	37KB
Video:	on Rarotonga (© Karl Traylor)	456KB
Image:	Juveniles (white spots fading on some) (Rarotonga)	72KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Threespot Dascyllus, Threespot Damselfish, Domino Damselfish; German Dreifleck-Preussenfisch; French Demoiselle à Trois Points, Domino Noir

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Katoti (RR AK), Kō‘utu‘utu (MT), Tutuku [?species] (PK); Other Polynesian - Atoti (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Pitcairn; n. to s.Japan; s. to NSW

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; The juveniles are often seen in large anemones in shallow water. The adults are in the lagoon and on the reef-slopes to 50m, usually associated with branching corals, especally $Pocillopora eydouxi@. ; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope to 25m Juveniles with anemones

KEY FEATURES: To 12cm SL. Adult black. Juveniles black with a white patch on the forehead and one each side of the Dorsal fin. Chip - possibly the new sp.: Apr2000 15m, 12cm TL, uniformly grey-black; caudal with central yellow band, clear posteriorly; forehead tinged yellow; sides of face pale.

Enlarged Image of 'Dascyllus trimaculatus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
P

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
	P		P		P

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1829)
SYNONYMS: Pomacentrus trimaculatus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; POMACENTRIDAE, Chrominae

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: field ID N.Sims (Sims88). Aitutaki: field ID N.Sims (Sims88). Tongareva: mention in Randall & Randall (2001) Zoological Studies 40(1):61-67) as Dascyllus trimaculatus. Manihiki: field ID N.Sims (Sims88). Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004. Suwarrow: field ID N.Sims (Sims88).

References:
text p.168 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 78e Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.268 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.377 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 82-07 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 64-13 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 759 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List