Diet

• Azurina atrilobata is a planktivore, feeding mainly on zooplankton and pelagic fish eggs. It commonly feeds in mid-water above reefs rather than directly from the reef surface.

Range

• The Scissortail Damselfish is endemic to the tropical eastern Pacific, ranging from the northern Gulf of California southward to northern Peru, including the Galápagos and Cocos islands.

• It occurs in the Zihuatanejo area, including Zihuatanejo Bay.

Habitat

• It inhabits rocky and coral reefs, usually in shallow coastal water. Adults form large aggregations in open water immediately above reefs, where they feed on plankton.

Description

• The Scissortail Damselfish is a small, slender, laterally compressed fish reaching about 13 cm in length. The body is generally light brown to greyish brown.

• It has a distinctive deeply forked caudal fin with dark, pointed lobes, a dark mark at the base of the pectoral fin, and a prominent white spot near the rear of the dorsal-fin base. The dorsal and anal fins have narrow pale blue or white margins.

• The species is relatively non-territorial compared with many other damselfishes and often occurs in conspicuous mid-water schools above reefs.