AMPHIPRION CHAGOSENSIS ALLEN, 1972

Chagos Anemonefish

Original description: As Amphiprion chagosensis, from specimens collected at Diego Garcia Atoll, Chagos Archipelago

Colour features and size: Light to dark brown with two dark-edged white bars; dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins of adults dusky brown; caudal fin whitish. Maximum length about 100 mm.

Similar species: Amphiprion akindynos from the Great Barrier Reef - Coral Sea region is similar in appearance, but has paler dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins (at least in adults), and the first white bar is usually constricted or interrupted on top of the head. In addition, A. chagosensis differs from similar two-barred species in the extent of predorsal scalation: the top of its head is scaled to a point nearly even with the front of the eyes, whereas in A. akindynos, A. allardi, and A. bicinctus, scales extend only to the rear of the eyes or, at most, are even with the middle of the eyes.

Host anemone species: not known

Distribution: Chagos Archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.