whitetail dascyllus; humbug dascyllus; banded dascyllus; white-tailed damselfish
A small reef fish with three black stripes on a white body, common in the Indo-Pacific. The Japanese name literally means 'three-stripe Ryukyu damselfish'.
The whitetail dascyllus is often seen on coral reefs.
Katakana spelling is standard for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly used in scientific contexts; usually written in kana.
Compound of 三筋 (misuji, 'three stripes'), 琉球 (Ryūkyū, 'Ryukyu'), and 雀鯛 (suzumedai, 'damselfish'). The name describes the fish's appearance and its association with the Ryukyu Islands.