FishCommonVisible while snorkeling

Whitebelly damselfish

Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster

A silvery little fish with a white belly, rising high above the reef slope to harvest plankton – a discreet regular of Hurghada's walls.

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

The whitebelly damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster) has a deep, laterally compressed body with a silvery-greenish metallic sheen, a distinctly white belly, and pelvic and anal fins often tinged yellow and black. Dark fin margins give the otherwise understated fish a fine frame. Depending on the light, its metallic scales look bluish or greenish – this species is the reef's quiet elegance among its flashier relatives.

Unlike many of its cousins it is not a hard-line territorial algae farmer but mainly a plankton feeder: it hovers in loose groups above the reef slope and coral heads, sometimes metres off the bottom, picking tiny crustaceans and eggs from the passing current. At any threat the whole group sinks back into the shelter of the corals in unison. When breeding, males lead females to dead coral branches, gorgonians or other hard surfaces, then guard the egg patch aggressively until hatching.

It is very common on Hurghada's reefs, yet many divers swim right past it because it is not gaudy – but it is worth pausing to watch the group hovering like a curtain above the slope, rising and sinking rhythmically with the current. As a diver you will meet it along virtually every wall and plateau, and it is easy to see while snorkeling in the shallower coral gardens too. If one individual charges you conspicuously, you have probably met an egg-guarding male – give him a little space.

Did you know?

Male whitebelly damselfish favour dead coral branches and sea fans as egg-laying sites – the chosen "cradle" is first scrubbed spotless with the mouth, and while on guard the male will chase off fish ten times his size.

Where can you meet it?

It hovers above the slopes of nearly every Hurghada reef: you are sure to meet it along the walls of the Giftun Islands, on the El Fanadir plateau and in the coral gardens of Abu Hashish.

Frequently asked questions

No, it is completely harmless. At most an egg-guarding male will "charge" you from a few centimetres away, which is more amusing than frightening – just drift a little further off.

Yes: although the larger groups hover above reef slopes, it is common in shallow coral gardens too. The white belly and metallic sheen make it easy to recognise.

It does not graze an algae lawn on the bottom but picks plankton from open water, so you often see it hovering metres above the corals. It is calmer and less territorial than most of its relatives – except when guarding eggs.