Bluestreak damselfish (Neoglyphidodon oxyodon)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Neoglyphidodon oxyodon · Authority: (Bleeker, 1858) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278814.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Glyphisodon oxyodon Bleeker, 1858; Paraglyphidodon oxyodon (Bleeker, 1858).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278814 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 15 cm · Depth range: 0–4 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Adults inhabit protected reef flats of lagoons and inshore reefs. They mainly occur on current-swept reef flats in a few meters depth where it congregates in loose groups of various sizes (Ref. 48636). 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). Diurnal species (Ref. 113699).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 11988) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Neoglyphidodon-oxyodon.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

141 georeferenced occurrence records for Neoglyphidodon oxyodon are published through GBIF from 6 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 34 distinct locations from a sample of 141 records, omitting 6 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Indonesia (74); Philippines (34); Australia (19); Papua New Guinea (5); Chinese Taipei (5); Malaysia (4).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2398611) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2398611&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278814 (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 Neoglyphidodon oxyodon (Bleeker, 1858) as Least Concern (code LC). 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 188555) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/188555/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2398611) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2398611/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

This species of fish is found in coral reefs in the western Pacific Ocean. It ranges from Indonesia to the Philippines to the Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea.

The depth range for this species ranges from 0 to 4 m. They are normally found around Acropora heads for shelter. Lagoons and reef flats are the parts of the reef that this species of fish is found in.

Description

The adults can grow up to a maximum size of 15 cm. Juveniles and adults have different coloration. Adults of this species are grayish black. Juveniles are dark blue with a light yellow stripe or spot and blue streaks that fade with age.

Diet

Neoglyphidodon oxyodon is an omnivorous species of damselfish. They feed on zooplankton and filamentous algae.

Behavior

Like most species of damselfish, this species is territorial. At daytime, they are active. When the diurnal hours are over, they take shelter in corals to avoid getting eaten by predators.

In the aquarium

This species of damselfish is rarely seen in the aquarium hobby. It is due to the fact that it has not been yet bred in the aquarium hobby. Most people consider this the "most expensive species of damselfish".

People keep them normally in the average conditions that tropical marine fish are kept in. It often chases other peaceful fishes. It loves to cruise by nature therefore need a vast living space and territory.

Males establish a territory on a rock or coral surface and start clean it. Then, the male will court a female to the territory. Females then lay their eggs and the males fertilize them.

After that, the male will constantly guard the eggs until they hatch. The eggs also get aerated and tended for by the male. Eggs that failed to hatch are removed out of the spawning site. The reproduction process usually lasts for about 20 minutes.

Females can lay up to 20,000 eggs each. On average, eggs take about 3 days to a week to hatch. Males sometimes spawn with more than 1 female.

The common names that are mostly used for this species are bluestreak damselfish, blue-streak damselfish, bluevelvet damselfish, Javanese damselfish, Java damselfish, and bluebanded damselfish.

Source: Wikipedia: Neoglyphidodon oxyodon — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoglyphidodon_oxyodon (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.