Marine life profile
Damselfish
Recorded at 3562 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Damselfish around the world
Damselfish are fish within the subfamilies Abudefdufinae, Chrominae, Lepidozyginae, Pomacentrinae, and Stegastinae within the family Pomacentridae. It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
Use body shape, fin outline, color pattern and swimming style to separate it from the surrounding reef community.
How It Behaves
It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Special Ability
Precise fins and a body shaped for its niche let it turn, hover or accelerate exactly where food and shelter demand.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Move slowly at the same depth, avoid swimming directly at it and let the fish resume its normal behavior.
Safety
Usually safe to observe at a respectful distance. Never feed, corner or touch a fish, especially near nests or cleaning stations.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
Damselfish are fish within the subfamilies Abudefdufinae, Chrominae, Lepidozyginae, Pomacentrinae, and Stegastinae within the family Pomacentridae.
Where to Find
Look around coral structure, rocky reef, wrecks and current lines where shelter and food meet.
Known countries
Sightings map
Damselfish locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
18th Palm
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
House reef of Plaza Beach & Dive Resort and Toucan Diving!
Confetti Bay
Mauritius
A firm favourite in the North, a shallow dive site with a slight drop off to a max of 30 m. An ideal training site for PADI Open Water Divers, or a PADI Search and Recovery Specialty, Fish ID, Naturalist or PADI Advanced Open Water Course! So many schools of fish to swim with and enjoy stunning visibility and beautiful colour. Great for macro.
Playa del Cabrón
Spain
This is a fun dive to 12m maximum, beginning with an easy walk from the beach; we then follow the reef out towards the headland, which forms the natural shelter for the bay. As conditions here are invariably calm this makes it the perfect site for beginners or trainees, and those of you who have been out of the water for some time. Yet many experienced divers and underwater photographers also enjoy the bay because of the diversity of life and excellent light conditions There is a wide range of sea-life ranging from the ever present shoals of atlantic and blue-fin damselfish, bream, parrotfish, wrasse, lizardfish and pufferfish. More diligent searching will reward the diver with clams, razorfish, juvenile barracudas, trumpetfish, wide-eyed flounders, common stingrays, octopus, as well as cuttleFish and many other species. In spring many predators enter the bay at night to feed on the spawning fish. Some stay during the day giving close-ups of stingrays, anglesharks, barracuda and weaver fish
Back Door
Cambodia
The dive site Back Door is a massive reef stretching all the way from Mpai Bay village around the north-western side of Koh Rong Sanloem island. The reef is consisting of large boulders in the shallow part of the dive and a little cliff like overhang where lucky divers can often spot Cobias and schooling Baraccudas. Because if the size of the reef, one may do dozens of dives and always find new things to explore.
Canyon
Cyprus
Situated under the cliffs on the south side of Cape Greko (close to the Tunnels and Caves Dive Site) is Canyon. The entry point is first accessed by a bit of off-road driving and then a long challenging walk down some cliffs followed by two vertical ladder to the waters edge. A good level of fitness and strength is required. That being said the challenging entry is worth it, with experienced divers being rewarded with a series of dramatic rock formations – such as steep walls, boulders and swim throughs. The marine life is less abundant here than at other sites, but divers will still spot damselfish, grouper, moray eels, octopi and stingrays, with most seen above 20 metres, enchanting all level of diver.
Casa Blanca
Mexico
This is a gorgeous reef named after Casa Gordon, a beachfront house which used to white. The reef very similar in composition and marine life to Paso del Cedral, with a constant drift which helps travel over the reef. A favorite of Cozumel's repeat divers, this dive site is often thriving with sharks, green morays and turtles.
Casino Point Dive Park
United States
One of the most popular dive sites in North America is well worth the acclaim. Featuring enchanting kelp forests, ever-changing marine life and convenient entry, the Casino Point Dive Park is a site you will want to visit again and again.
Cow Rock
United States
Cow Rock, often mentioned with its counterpart Calf Rock, is one of the most popular sites on the South side. Consisting of a rocky bottom topography that is covered in colorful growth, these natural formations create several swim through’s that attract many divers. In addition, this site and others in the area fall within the protected waters of a marine preserve. An abundance of fish, turtles, lobsters, rays, and sharks can be seen here.
El Natural
Puerto Rico
Beach Dive with both a shallow and a deep drop off to 40 m. Many types of sponges and invertabrae. Excellent DPV dive to deep wall using EANX30
Gabr el Bint
Egypt
Gabr el Bint ranks among one of the most attractive sites of North Sinai. With the access by boat, 4x4 or by camel, it is less frequently dived than the other dive sites in Dahab which has left this site in pristine condition. Gabr el Bint means 'The Grave of the Girl' in Arabic. There are two dives possible here. The ledge is riddled with exquisite coral heads that attract numerous reef species, including swarms of anthias, scorpionfish, parrotfish, crocodilefish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, stingrays and very often a turtle. At the end of the ledge usually is home to a shoal of black and white snappers and twinspot snappers hang here between 5m and 10m. One of the truly breathtaking dives in Dahab.
Kandooma Thila
Maldives
Kandooma Thila, or also called Cocoa Thila, is one of the most exciting dives in South Male’ Atoll with great scenery as well as prolific fish life. The west and north side are the most spectacular, with the top at 16m. These are a focal point for schools of Bluefin Trevallies, eagle rays, dogtooth tunas and loose groups of gray reef sharks (50+ in the right current). Cleaning station for grey reef , you can see them going in a vertical position while small wrasses are cleaning them. Currents can be very strong making it a challenging dive. For experienced divers only.
Mermaid's Grotto
Japan
Short little walk through a wooded area and the Beach opens up for an amazing view. Photographers come here for the above water rock formations. Entry can be straight into the ocean. The best place to enter is to use the channel that was cut out as you can see in the map. It deep enough to start putting your fins on and kick out to the deeper spots. Be prepared to exit at another location and return to vehicle by foot. Its located in the Onna area. Dive site is classified as a level 5 (easy 1 to 5 hard). Parking on the road is limited.
Pefkos
Greece
We dive from Fokia Bay, which is just outside the main village of Pefkos. A beautiful, shallow dive site, with many rock overhangs iding a plethora of Mediterranean sea life. Depth: 5-14m Main features: swim throughs Aquatic life: pipefish, damselfish, sting rays, rockfish Chance of: turtles Visibility: 20m+ Temp: 19-30 Current: none Programmes: qualified diver, Discover Scuba, PADI courses, snorkelling
Pelican Rock
Mexico
Pelican Rock is one of Cabo's most famous sites. A pinnacle covered in purple fans rising up above the surface from around 14 meters underwater at its deepest. Just in front of the pinnacle we also have a beautiful wall dive filled with life, and off to its side one of Cabo's famous sand falls. The dive site has something for everyone. The shallows are great for courses & newer divers, while the deep walls make it an incredible spot for tec divers to explore. But the big highlight is the sheer amount of life that inhabits the site all year round, making it a beautiful spot for all levels of divers.
Radazul
Spain
On of the best dive sites with easy entry and exit is Radazul. Here we conduct courses and check dives in case the weather does not allow diving in the north. The dive site provides a lot of fish, octopuses, cuttle fishes, sometimes stingrays and much more. The dive site is apropriate for beginer (up to 12m) as well as for pro's and tech diving as it provides depths over 40m in a short swimming distance from the beach.
Stonehenge
Thailand
Stonehenge is a superlative dive site and must be considered one of the top scuba spots in Thailand. Stonehenge is located only 5-10 minutes from Koh Lipe by boat and is full of Soft Leafy Coral making it a beautiful and vibrant reef. Generally you will see schools of Barracudas, Trevally & Yellow Snappers. Smaller creatures include Seahorses, Shrimps, Crabs, Nudibranchs, Seamoths, Stonefish & Frogfish. As this site is very exposed, strong currents can be expected, meaning diving here around Full or Black moon is not usually possible.
’écomusée sous-marin
France
The underwater eco-museum is made up of 6 submerged statues near the southern shore of Sainte-Marguerite Island, at a depth of 3 to 5 meters.
1 / 4 Wreck (Stern Courier)
Grenada
This site is the stern section of the Courier wreck in 11 meters / 35 ft of water, resting upside down with the Engine block and hull plates scattered around when it rolled from the top of the reef after falling off a transport barge.
40 Kafalar
Turkey
This dive site is popular with those who like to do deep and drop-off dives. The site is between Pınar-1 wreck and Poyraz Bay. It is usually windy and choppy. The dive site has a drop-off first down to 17 m then to 45+ m.
5 Palms, Thulusdhoo
Maldives
5 Palms is a fun drift dive that has something to offer for every level of diver. The top of the reef starts at 5m and drops down at 8m. At 22/25m there is a sandy plateau on the edge of which big fish appear from time to time.
Aarah Dekunu Thila
Maldives
ADT is a deep thila in front off the island of Aarah. With a current from the west, we start on the gently sloping part of the lagoon in the south-west. We drift in a deep of 22m to the first small block and from there to the thila. If the current is not too strong, the dive can be ended at the main reef
Aarah Kuda Thila
Maldives
A small reef with many different types of colorful coral. The reef roof is at a height of 6m and has a diameter of approx. 20m, at a depth of 25m it should be approx. 50m. On the west side an overhang with soft corals, further deeper a gap with giant moray eels and cleaner shrimp.
Abrolhos / Chapeirão Faca Cega
Location being verified
The set of coral pinnacles that received the name of “Faca Cega“ (Blind Knife) consists of one of the main diving points of the Abrolhos Archipelago. It has a room that reaches a depth of 25 meters, with almost 20 meters in diameter. The view is impressive, with several passages and burrows.
Abu Dabour
Egypt
The nearby jetty can be used to enter this dive or you can enter from the shore through a very nice small canyon leading you to the clear blue water. This dive starts with a sloping sand bottom where you can choose to head to the north or south reef.