Chrysiptera flavipinnis
Small blue-and-yellow damsel logged around New South Wales reefs, water 24-29C, uncommon but present year-round.
A small damselfish, around 6 cm, with a deep blue to blue-grey body and a bright yellow tail and rear fins that stand out sharply against the darker flanks. The head and front half of the body stay a flat blue, giving a clean two-tone split rather than a gradient. Look for it holding a tight position over rock or reef structure rather than roaming in open water.
Divers typically find it holding station close to a patch of rock or reef, darting for cover rather than out in open water, in the usual small-damselfish pattern of short retreats and quick returns to the same spot. It does not school in large numbers at these sites and shows up as scattered individuals rather than dense clouds, which fits its uncommon rating across the logged locations. It shows little concern for divers beyond keeping a bit of distance, typical of small pomacentrids that treat a patch of reef as home turf.
Like other damselfish, it likely holds a small home territory on the reef and will chase off intruders many times its own size, a common trait in the family even though this exact behaviour has not been specifically logged for this species.
Sighting data does not show a distinct season, and the water-temperature range it is found in, roughly 24 to 29C, spans NSW's warmer months, so it is treated as a year-round possibility rather than tied to a single season.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Logged almost exclusively along the Australian east coast, with New South Wales the strongest region and a further site recorded in Queensland. Divers have the best odds around New South Wales reef and rocky-reef sites, where it turns up as an uncommon but repeat sighting rather than a one-off.
Mapping where Yellowfin Damselfish is logged…
Sightings are concentrated on the Australian east coast, with New South Wales the strongest region logged and an additional site recorded in Queensland.
There is no clear seasonal pattern in the sighting data, and the species is found across a warm-water range of roughly 24 to 29C, so it is a reasonable year-round target on NSW reefs rather than a seasonal special.
Look for a small, 6 cm damselfish with a blue body and a contrasting bright yellow tail and rear fins. It tends to sit close to rock or reef structure rather than swim in open water.
They stay small, reaching around 6 cm in length, in line with most damselfish in the Chrysiptera genus.
No, they are not considered dangerous to divers and pose no real risk beyond the usual small-damselfish habit of nipping at anything that gets too close to their patch of reef.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Yellowtail Clownfish
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