Springer's Damselfish Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Pale grey to white body overall
• Bold black diagonal bar or mask running through the eye, giving a distinctive masked look
• Scattered iridescent blue highlights on the head and fin edges
• Small dark spot at the upper edge of the gill cover
• Very small size, typically under 2.5 inches (6 cm)

Common look-alikes

• Talbot's damselfish has a similar pale body but its black marking sits as a vertical bar behind the head and onto the dorsal fin, rather than a diagonal mask through the eye.
• Blue devil damselfish is solid electric blue over the entire body, lacking the pale grey base color and dark eye mask.
• Yellowtail blue damselfish is also blue-bodied but with a solid yellow tail, unlike Springer's pale, unmarked tail.

Where you'll see one

Springer's damselfish is restricted to a small range in the western Pacific, most notably around the Philippines and nearby islands. It is a secretive species, sheltering deep within reef crevices, small caves, and overhangs on steep drop-offs, rarely venturing into the open.