Galapagos damsel

Taxobox
name = Galapagos damsel
status = EX

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image_caption = Galapagos damsel
image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Pomacentridae
genus = "Azurina"
species = "A. eupalama"
binomial = "Azurina eupalama"
binomial_authority = Heller and Snodgrass, 1903The Galapagos damsel ("Azurina eupalama"), also known as Blackspot chromis, is a possibly extinct fish species from the family of "Pomacentridae". It was endemic in the waters near the Galápagos Islands and Cocos Island.

Description

The Galapagos damsel reached a length of 15 cm. The colour was predominantly light olive grey with a light blue tint. The ventral side was silvery. The mouth was dusky.

Biology and occurrence

The Galapagos damsel was known from following regions: 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 which is on display in the American Museum of Natural History was collected near Cocos Island.

Extinction

The 1982/1983 El Niño-Southern Oscillation activity led to an increase of the water temperatures nearby the Galapagos Islands. The plankton production was turned off for at least one year and this led to a complete breakdown of the Galapagos damsel population. Despite intensive searches during the next decade the Galapagos damsel was not found again.

References

*Jack S. Grove and Robert J. Lavenberg: "The Fishes of the Galápagos Islands". Stanford University Press, 1997, ISBN 0804722897
*Robert E. Snodgrass und Edmund Heller: "Papers from the Hopkins Stanford Galapagos Expedition, 1898-1899. XV. New fishes", 1903. [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/Zoology/Zoology-idx?type=turn&entity=Zoology.GIProcWasv05ex15.p0015&isize=M&q1=eupalama Online]

External links

* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=11848 Fishbase entry]
* [http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Azurina+eupalama Photographs and information]