Stegastes limbatus
Dark, territorial damselfish common around Saint-Leu, Reunion at 25-28C reefs, seen year-round on shallow rock and coral.
A small, deep-bodied damselfish around 10 cm, almost entirely dark brown to blackish with a faint pale edge along the tail fin. There's no bright pattern to key on here, it's the uniform dark body and stocky damselfish shape, often seen holding a fixed position over a patch of reef, that gives it away. Up close you may notice a slightly paler margin on the fins that separates it from an all-black silhouette.
Expect to find it holding a small patch of reef or rock, usually low down and close to shelter, rather than roaming in open water. Like most damselfish it's territorial and will hold its ground or dart forward at intruders rather than bolt, so divers often get a good, close look without much effort. It tends to sit still long enough for a photo once it settles back after an initial dart.
Like other Stegastes damselfish, it likely tends a small patch of algae on the reef as a food source, chasing off other fish that stray into that patch, a behaviour worth watching for if you see one holding position aggressively.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and with a comfortable temperature niche of 25 to 27.8C, it's present on these reefs year-round.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Most reliably logged around Saint-Leu in Reunion, with further sightings at Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul, and it's also a steady find at Trou aux Biches in Mauritius. Reunion carries the bulk of the logged sites, making it the stronger bet for a dedicated look.
Mapping where Ebony Gregory is logged…
It's most consistently seen around Saint-Leu in Reunion, with additional sightings at Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul. In Mauritius it turns up reliably at Trou aux Biches.
There's no strong seasonal signal in the sightings, and it sits comfortably in 25 to 27.8C water, so it's a year-round find on these reefs.
Look for a small, stocky damselfish around 10 cm with an almost uniformly dark brown to black body and a faint pale edge on the tail fin. It usually holds a fixed position near rock or reef structure rather than swimming freely.
They reach around 10 cm, a typical size for damselfish in the Stegastes group.
No, it poses no danger to divers. It may dart towards you if you get close to its territory, but this is just a bluff display, not a real threat.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
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