Microspathodon dorsalis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	PERCIFORMES	POMACENTRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Microspathodon dorsalis

Species Authority:

(Gill, 1862)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Giant damselfish
Spanish	–	Ayanque, Castañuela gigante, Jaqueta gigante, Posonga

Synonym/s:

Hypsypops dorsalis Gill, 1862

Microspathodon azurissimus Jordan & Starks, 1895

Microspathodon cinereus Gilbert, 1890

Pomacentrus quadrigutta Gill, 1862

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Allen, G., Robertson, R., Rivera, R.,Edgar, G., Merlen, G., Zapata, F. & Barraza, E.
Reviewer/s:	Carpenter, K., Polidoro, B. & Livingstone, S. (Global Marine Species Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: This species is widespread in the Eastern Pacific, and is common in many parts of its range. There are no major threats for this species, and no current indication of population decline. It is listed as Least Concern.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to the Eastern Pacific, and is found from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Ecuador, including the Revillagigedo, Cocos, Malpelo and Galapagos Islands.
Countries:	Native: Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – eastern central; Pacific – southeast
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is considered common in many parts of its range. It was studied in different sites at Galapagos archipelago, with an overall mean abundance of 6.43 individuals per 500 m² (Edgar et al. 2004). This fish was studied in Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica (Dominici-Arosemena et al. 2005) with a density of 0.02 (±0.7) individuals per m². At Gulf Dulce, Costa Rica, it had a density of 0.012 (±0.040) individuals per m² and a relative abundance of 0.336% (Figueroa 2001). Within a five-site-study survey, at Catalinas Islands, this fish could be observed just in two sites, with 16 overall observations (Espinoza and Salas 2005). According to Aburto-Oropeza and Balart (2001), M. dorsalis is a frequent and abundant species at Los Islotes, Gulf of California (between 0.1-1% of total abundance) with an occurrence frequency between 30-70%. In Cabo Pulmo, Mexico, this fish was considered common (between 1-5% of the overall abundance registered) with a relative frequency between 50-75% (Villarreal-Cavazos et al. 2000). In Bahía de Navidad, Jalisco, still in México, this fish was captured four times within 12 (one each month) field trips throughout a year (Rojo-Vázquez et al. 2001). A survey at Gorgona Island coral reefs, Colombia (Rubio 1986), showed that this fish seems to be frequent in coralline and sandy bottoms while occasional in rocky ones.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

This species is considered common in many parts of its range.

It was studied in different sites at Galapagos archipelago, with an overall mean abundance of 6.43 individuals per 500 m² (Edgar et al. 2004). This fish was studied in Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica (Dominici-Arosemena et al. 2005) with a density of 0.02 (±0.7) individuals per m². At Gulf Dulce, Costa Rica, it had a density of 0.012 (±0.040) individuals per m² and a relative abundance of 0.336% (Figueroa 2001). Within a five-site-study survey, at Catalinas Islands, this fish could be observed just in two sites, with 16 overall observations (Espinoza and Salas 2005). According to Aburto-Oropeza and Balart (2001), M. dorsalis is a frequent and abundant species at Los Islotes, Gulf of California (between 0.1-1% of total abundance) with an occurrence frequency between 30-70%. In Cabo Pulmo, Mexico, this fish was considered common (between 1-5% of the overall abundance registered) with a relative frequency between 50-75% (Villarreal-Cavazos et al. 2000). In Bahía de Navidad, Jalisco, still in México, this fish was captured four times within 12 (one each month) field trips throughout a year (Rojo-Vázquez et al. 2001). A survey at Gorgona Island coral reefs, Colombia (Rubio 1986), showed that this fish seems to be frequent in coralline and sandy bottoms while occasional in rocky ones.

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species inhabits rocky reefs, below the surf zone (Allen 1991) to depths of 25 m, and is most common in the shallow subtidal zone amongst fields of large boulders. At Gulf of Chiriqui, Panamá, this fish is found in massive corals and exposed shallow rocky reefs (Dominici-Arosemena and Wolff 2006) and tends to occur in slightly shallower water than M. bairdii.
Systems:	Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats known for this species. According to Dominici-Arosemena et al. (2005), this is a important aquarium fish in Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica; however, this is unilkely to have a significant effect on the population.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats known for this species. According to Dominici-Arosemena et al. (2005), this is a important aquarium fish in Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica; however, this is unilkely to have a significant effect on the population.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are no known conservation measures for this species. However, this species' distribution falls partially into a number of Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Pacific region (WDPA 2006).

Conservation Actions:

There are no known conservation measures for this species. However, this species' distribution falls partially into a number of Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Pacific region (WDPA 2006).

Citation:	Allen, G., Robertson, R., Rivera, R.,Edgar, G., Merlen, G., Zapata, F. & Barraza, E. 2010. Microspathodon dorsalis. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2013.
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