FishCommonVisible while snorkeling

Sulphur damselfish

Pomacentrus sulfureus

A tiny, glowing lemon-yellow dot among the coral branches – the sulphur damselfish is one of the most cheerful splashes of colour on Hurghada's reefs.

Photo: iNaturalist – (c) Nikolai Vladimirov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nikolai Vladimirov

The sulphur damselfish (Pomacentrus sulfureus) is vivid sulphur-yellow from nose to tail, with a single telltale mark: a small red-and-black spot at the base of the pectoral fin. This fish, smaller than your palm, is a specialty of the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean – you would search the wider Indo-Pacific for it in vain. Its colour is so saturated that it seems to glow among the corals even on an overcast day.

Like most damselfish, it is surprisingly feisty for its size: it holds a small territory around a chosen coral head or rock, chasing away fish many times larger than itself. In the breeding season males court females onto a cleaned patch of substrate, then guard and fan the eggs until they hatch. Its diet is mostly algae and small planktonic animals picked near the bottom.

Around Hurghada it is a permanent resident of shallow, coral-rich reef tops, so snorkelers can enjoy it just as much as divers. It never flees far: disturb it and it simply darts into the nearest coral branches, peeking back out curiously a few seconds later. It is a rewarding subject for macro photographers – the yellow body makes a beautiful contrast against blue water; you just need patience until the fish ventures back into the open.

Did you know?

Damselfish are the reef's gardeners: within their territory they carefully graze and defend a private algae lawn, weeding out unwanted species – so the sulphur damselfish literally keeps its own vegetable patch among the corals.

Where can you meet it?

You will find it in any shallow, healthy coral garden: the towers of Shaab Sabina and El Aruk, the "aquarium" of Gota Abu Ramada and the reef tops of the Giftun Islands are full of them.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, it is one of the easiest species to observe: it lives on shallow reef tops at 1–5 metres, comfortable snorkeling depth. Its yellow colour makes it easy to spot even from the surface.

It is nothing personal: damselfish fearlessly defend their territory and eggs against everyone, divers included. The few-centimetre "charges" are completely harmless – take it as a compliment that it considers you a serious rival.

Almost: it occurs in the Red Sea and along the western Indian Ocean coasts, so on the vast majority of the world's reefs you will not meet it. Around Hurghada, however, it is an everyday sight.