Dr. Jack Stein Grove (Grove & Lavenberg, 1997), USA
Info
Azurina eupalama is usually seen in open water over rocky habitats.
The blue Galapagos damselfish is gray, fading to whitish on the underside of the head and on the belly.
Scale centers are usually lighter; a whitish patch is on the upper dorsal region below the soft dorsal fin.
Each caudal fin lobe has a blackish stripe, and a black spot can be seen above the pectoral fin base.
This species apparently disappeared from the waters around the Galapagos Islands during the strong El Niño event of 1982-83, when greatly elevated ocean temperatures had a strong negative impact on the marine life of the islands.
Since then, it has not been seen around the Galapagos Islands and is likely extinct here.
Its sister species, Azurina hirundo, is found in the Revillagigedos Islands near the northern limit of the tropical East Pacific, where environmental conditions are similar to those in the Galapagos, but it also lives in warm-temperate conditions around Guadalupe Island, which is well outside the tropical East Pacific.
Therefore, it seems possible that populations of Azurina eupalama still exist on islands off Peru where warm temperate conditions prevail, such as the Lobos Islands, just south of the edge of the tropical eastern Pacific.
We extend special thanks to Dr. Jack Stein Grove, Marine Science Advisor, Galapagos Education & Research Alliance, University of Pennsylvania and senior author of FISHES OF THE GALAPAGOS (Stanford University Press) for possibly the last in situ photo of this species.
The blue Galapagos damselfish is gray, fading to whitish on the underside of the head and on the belly.
Scale centers are usually lighter; a whitish patch is on the upper dorsal region below the soft dorsal fin.
Each caudal fin lobe has a blackish stripe, and a black spot can be seen above the pectoral fin base.
This species apparently disappeared from the waters around the Galapagos Islands during the strong El Niño event of 1982-83, when greatly elevated ocean temperatures had a strong negative impact on the marine life of the islands.
Since then, it has not been seen around the Galapagos Islands and is likely extinct here.
Its sister species, Azurina hirundo, is found in the Revillagigedos Islands near the northern limit of the tropical East Pacific, where environmental conditions are similar to those in the Galapagos, but it also lives in warm-temperate conditions around Guadalupe Island, which is well outside the tropical East Pacific.
Therefore, it seems possible that populations of Azurina eupalama still exist on islands off Peru where warm temperate conditions prevail, such as the Lobos Islands, just south of the edge of the tropical eastern Pacific.
We extend special thanks to Dr. Jack Stein Grove, Marine Science Advisor, Galapagos Education & Research Alliance, University of Pennsylvania and senior author of FISHES OF THE GALAPAGOS (Stanford University Press) for possibly the last in situ photo of this species.
