[3] The Latin species name damii honors the naturalist Douwe Casparus van Dam (1827-1898).

[4] P. damii is the largest Paretroplus, reaching the total length of about 17–40 centimetres (6.7–15.7 in).

These fishes have a rounded shape, with a light pink / grey colouration in absence of vertical barring.

[7] This includes populations in far northern Madagascar that some have speculated represented an undescribed species, but a comparison of specimens did not support this, instead maintaining them as part of P.

[6] In contrast, populations in the Mahanara River in northeastern Madagascar were formerly also included in P. damii, but these were described as a separate species, P. loisellei, in 2011, and populations in the Ankofia River basin in northwestern Madagascar (south of true P. damii) appear to represent a closely related undescribed species.