Galapagos damsel (Azurina eupalama)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Ovalentaria incertae sedis · Family: Pomacentridae · Genus: Azurina.

Accepted name: Azurina eupalama · Authority: Heller & Snodgrass, 1903 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 279851.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279851 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Azurina eupalama. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 15 cm · Depth range: 5–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100.

FishBase notes: Apparently this species prefers open water near drop-offs, although individuals are found in a variety of inshore habitats to depths of 30 meters. It is not a common species and resident aggregations have strong preferences for specific sites. Feeds mainly on plankton in the water column, usually in heterotypic aggregations with Chromis atrilobata . Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).

Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205). Prior to the 1982-83 El Niño, a small aggregation frequented the shallow water just west of Pinnacle Rock at Bartolomé. But despite intensive observations during the decade after this event, no records of this species were made (Ref. 28023).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 11848) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Azurina-eupalama.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

33 georeferenced occurrence records for Azurina eupalama are published through GBIF from 2 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 14 distinct locations from a sample of 33 records; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Ecuador (32); Costa Rica (1).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2399200) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2399200&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279851 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Azurina eupalama Heller & Snodgrass, 1903 as Critically Endangered (code CR). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 184017) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/184017/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2399200) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2399200/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The Galápagos damsel reaches a length of 15 centimeters. It is olive-gray with a blue tinge, and silvery along the sides. There is a black spot at the base of each pectoral fin. It has a prominent lateral line.

The Galápagos damsel has been recorded from following regions in Galápagos: Floreana, Gardiner Bay, Española, Tagus Cove, Isabela, Marchena, James Bay and Sullivan Bay, Santiago, Wreck Bay, San Cristóbal, Academy Bay, Santa Cruz and Santa Fe. One specimen, found many years ago, which is in the fish collection at the American Museum of Natural History, was collected near Cocos Island. The Galápagos damsel is a plankton feeder. It has been suggested that global climate change may be influencing the rate of extreme El Niño–Southern Oscillation events, such as the one that severely impacted this damselfish.

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation of 1982 and 1983 led to an increase in the water temperature near the Galápagos Islands. Plankton production was reduced for at least one year, leading to drops in the populations of many planktivorous fish, such as the Galápagos damsel.

Despite intensive searches during the next decade, it was not seen again. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the fish as a critically endangered species, and one which is possibly extinct. It cites speculation that A. eupalama may still exist on "islands off Peru that have warm temperate conditions, such as the Lobos Islands", but no evidence of this has been found in untargeted survey data to date.

Source: Wikipedia: Galapagos damsel — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_damsel (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.