Least Concern· population trend unknown· assessed 2015

Canary damselfish

Abudefduf luridus

Sighting evidence at Museo Atlantico, Lanzarote

Photo: Susanne Spindler · CC BY-NC-ND

The Canary damselfish is an Atlantic endemic found only in the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores, shaped by the same volcanic upwelling system that defines Lanzarote's marine character. It is a fiercely territorial algae farmer, maintaining small patches of filamentous algae on sculpture surfaces by chasing away any competing herbivore. Its aggression relative to body size is remarkable: individuals routinely chase parrotfish 10 times their mass.

Evidence at this site

146 records within 25 km

Confidence: high

Last confirmed Jul 2026

Seasonality

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How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Canary damselfish

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites