Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis
A 4cm reef speckle most divers overlook: find brighteye damselfish tucked into Hawaii's shallow reef rubble year-round in 25-29C water.
A tiny fish, barely 4 cm, with a dark brown to blackish body scattered with fine pale speckles that give it a dusty, freckled look. The eye stands out with a bright pale ring around it, which is where the common name comes from. It sits low and close to the reef, often half-hidden in rubble or coral crevices rather than swimming in open water.
Look for it low on the reef, hugging rubble patches and small crevices in shallow water rather than cruising the water column. It tends to hold its ground or dart just a short distance when a diver approaches, then settles right back near the same patch of reef. Most sightings are logged as an occasional extra on a dive rather than the main event, so it rewards divers who slow down and scan the bottom closely.
Its speckled, low-contrast pattern works as camouflage against coral rubble, which is likely why it reads as uncommon rather than rare at most sites: divers are probably swimming past ones they never notice.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and with a comfortable range of roughly 25 to 29 C, Hawaii's reefs sit in that zone most of the year, so it is a fair bet on any dive there.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Nearly all logged sightings come from Hawaii, making it the place to look for this species, with sites spread across the islands rather than concentrated in one spot. Outside Hawaii it has not turned up in the diver-logged data, so treat it as a Hawaiian specialty.
Mapping where Brighteye Damselfish is logged…
Hawaii is by far the most reliable place, with sightings logged across sites throughout the islands. It has not been reported outside Hawaii in current diver data.
There's no detected season, and Hawaii's reef waters stay within its comfortable 25 to 29 C range most of the year, so it can be spotted on any dive, any month.
Look for a small, dark, finely speckled fish around 4 cm long with a distinct pale ring around the eye. It stays close to rubble and crevices rather than swimming out over open reef.
They stay small, topping out around 4 cm, making them one of the more easily overlooked damselfish on a Hawaiian reef.
No. They are harmless to divers and simply retreat into rubble or crevices if you get too close.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Yellowtail Clownfish
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