Pomacentridae
Encyclopedia
Pomacentridae are a family
of perciform fish
, comprising the damselfish
es and clownfish
es. They are primarily marine
, while a few species inhabit freshwater
and brackish environments (e.g., Neopomacentrus aquadulcis, N. taeniurus, Pomacentrus taeniometopon, Stegastes otophorus). They are noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality. Many are brightly colored, so they are popular in aquaria
.
Around 360 species
are classified in this family, in approximately 29 genera
. Of these, members of two genera, Amphiprion and Premnas (subfamily Amphiprioninae), are commonly called clownfish
or anemonefish, while members of other genera (e.g., Pomacentrus
) are commonly called damselfish. The members of this family are classified in four subfamilies: Amphiprioninae, Chrominae, Lepidozyginae, and Pomacentrinae.
words "poma" and "kentron". Poma roughly translates to the English "cover", referring to the fishes' operculum
. Kentron on the other hand is Greek for sting. The name refers to the serrations found along the margins of the opercular bones in many members of this family.
). Most species are found on or near coral reef
s in the Indo-West Pacific (from East Africa to Polynesia). The area from the Philippines to Australia hosts the greatest concentration of species. The remaining species are found in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific. Some species are native to freshwater or brackish estuarine
environments.
Most members of the family live in shallow water, from 2 to 15 m (6.6 to 49.2 ) in depth, although there are some species (e.g., Chromis abyssus
) that are found below 100 metres (328.1 ft). Most species are specialists, living in specific parts of the reef, such as sandy lagoon
s, steep reef slopes, or areas exposed to strong wave action. In general, the coral is used as shelter, and many species can only survive in its presence.
The bottom-dwelling species are territorial, occupying and defending a portion of the reef, often centred around shelter. By keeping away other species of fish, some pomacentrids encourage the growth of thick mats of algae
within their territories, leading to the common name farmerfish.
have two on each side). They have small- to medium-sized ctenoid scales. They have one or two rows of teeth, which may be conical or spatulate.
They display a wide range of colors, predominantly bright shades of yellow, red, orange and blue, although some are a relatively drab brown, black, or grey. The young are often a different, brighter color than adults.
Pomacentrids are omnivorous or herbivorous, feeding off algae, plankton
, and small bottom-dwelling crustacean
s, depending on their precise habitat. Only a small number of genera, such as Cheiloprion, eat the coral
where they live.
s, which may consist of rapid bursts of motion, chasing or nipping females, stationary hovering, or wide extension of the fins. After being attracted to the site, the female lays a string of sticky eggs that attach to the substrate. The male swims behind the female as she lays the eggs, and fertilises them externally. Varying by species, brood sizes range from fifty to a thousand eggs.
The male guards the nest for the two to seven days that it takes for the eggs to hatch. The transparent larvae
are 2–4 mm (0.078740157480315–0.15748031496063 ). They go through a pelagic
stage which, depending on the species, can last as little as a week or more than a month. When they arrive at a suitable environment, the young settle and adopt their juvenile colors.
In captivity, pomacentrids live up to eighteen years, but they probably do not live longer than ten to twelve years in the wild.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of perciform fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, comprising the damselfish
Damselfish
Damselfish comprise the family Pomacentridae except those of the genera Amphiprion and Premnas. They can grow up to long. While most are marine, a few species inhabit the lower stretches of rivers in freshwater. Damselfish usually have bright colors. in tropical coral reefs, and many of those are...
es and clownfish
Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
es. They are primarily marine
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
, while a few species inhabit freshwater
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
and brackish environments (e.g., Neopomacentrus aquadulcis, N. taeniurus, Pomacentrus taeniometopon, Stegastes otophorus). They are noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality. Many are brightly colored, so they are popular in aquaria
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
.
Around 360 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are classified in this family, in approximately 29 genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. Of these, members of two genera, Amphiprion and Premnas (subfamily Amphiprioninae), are commonly called clownfish
Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
or anemonefish, while members of other genera (e.g., Pomacentrus
Pomacentrus
Pomacentrus is a genus of marine fish in the family Pomacentridae. These fish inhabit tropical locations and are often captured or bred as aquarium fish. - Species of Pomacentrus :*Pomacentrus adelus Allen, 1991...
) are commonly called damselfish. The members of this family are classified in four subfamilies: Amphiprioninae, Chrominae, Lepidozyginae, and Pomacentrinae.
Etymology
The name of the family is derived from the GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
words "poma" and "kentron". Poma roughly translates to the English "cover", referring to the fishes' operculum
Operculum (fish)
The operculum of a bony fish is the hard bony flap covering and protecting the gills. In most fish, the rear edge of the operculum roughly marks the division between the head and the body....
. Kentron on the other hand is Greek for sting. The name refers to the serrations found along the margins of the opercular bones in many members of this family.
Distribution and habitat
Pomacentrids are found primarily in tropical seas, with a few species occurring in temperate waters (e.g., Hypsypops rubicundusGaribaldi (fish)
The Garibaldi or Garibaldi damselfish is a brightly colored orange fish of the damselfish family that is native to the North-Eastern subtropical parts of the Pacific Ocean, ranging from Monterey Bay, California, to Guadalupe Island, Baja California...
). Most species are found on or near coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s in the Indo-West Pacific (from East Africa to Polynesia). The area from the Philippines to Australia hosts the greatest concentration of species. The remaining species are found in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific. Some species are native to freshwater or brackish estuarine
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
environments.
Most members of the family live in shallow water, from 2 to 15 m (6.6 to 49.2 ) in depth, although there are some species (e.g., Chromis abyssus
Chromis abyssus
Deep Blue Chromis is a species of Chromis first discovered in 1997 and described in 2008. The fish only lives more than below the surface of the Pacific Ocean around the coast of the Ngemelis Islands, Palau...
) that are found below 100 metres (328.1 ft). Most species are specialists, living in specific parts of the reef, such as sandy lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s, steep reef slopes, or areas exposed to strong wave action. In general, the coral is used as shelter, and many species can only survive in its presence.
The bottom-dwelling species are territorial, occupying and defending a portion of the reef, often centred around shelter. By keeping away other species of fish, some pomacentrids encourage the growth of thick mats of algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
within their territories, leading to the common name farmerfish.
Characteristics
Pomacentrids have an orbiculate to elongate body shape, which is often laterally compressed. They have interrupted or incomplete lateral lines and they usually have a single nostril on each side (some species of Chromis and DascyllusDascyllus
Dascyllus is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae.-Species:*Dascyllus albisella *Dascyllus aruanus *Dascyllus auropinnis *Dascyllus carneus...
have two on each side). They have small- to medium-sized ctenoid scales. They have one or two rows of teeth, which may be conical or spatulate.
They display a wide range of colors, predominantly bright shades of yellow, red, orange and blue, although some are a relatively drab brown, black, or grey. The young are often a different, brighter color than adults.
Pomacentrids are omnivorous or herbivorous, feeding off algae, plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
, and small bottom-dwelling crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, depending on their precise habitat. Only a small number of genera, such as Cheiloprion, eat the coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
where they live.
Reproduction
Before breeding, the males clear an area of algae and invertebrates to create a nest. They engage in ritualised courtship displayCourtship display
Courtship display is a special, sometimes ritualised, set of behaviours which some animals perform as part of courtship. Courtship behaviours can include special calls, postures, and movements, and may involve special plumage, bright colours or other ornamentation. A good example is the 'dancing'...
s, which may consist of rapid bursts of motion, chasing or nipping females, stationary hovering, or wide extension of the fins. After being attracted to the site, the female lays a string of sticky eggs that attach to the substrate. The male swims behind the female as she lays the eggs, and fertilises them externally. Varying by species, brood sizes range from fifty to a thousand eggs.
The male guards the nest for the two to seven days that it takes for the eggs to hatch. The transparent larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
are 2–4 mm (0.078740157480315–0.15748031496063 ). They go through a pelagic
Marine larval ecology
Marine larval ecology is the study of the factors influencing the dispersing larval stage exhibited by many marine invertebrates and fishes. Marine organisms with a larval stage usually release large numbers of larvae into the water column, where these larvae develop and grow for a certain period...
stage which, depending on the species, can last as little as a week or more than a month. When they arrive at a suitable environment, the young settle and adopt their juvenile colors.
In captivity, pomacentrids live up to eighteen years, but they probably do not live longer than ten to twelve years in the wild.
Genera
- AbudefdufAbudefdufAbudefduf is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae.The name is from Arabic abu literally meaning "father" but in a non literal sense it means "the one with," def meaning "side", and the intensive plural ending -duf...
(sergeant majors) - Acanthochromis
- AltrichthysAltrichthysAltrichthys is a small genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae with only two members. -Species:*Altrichthys azurelineatus *Altrichthys curatus Allen, 1999...
- AmblyglyphidodonAmblyglyphidodonAmblyglyphidodon is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. These damselfish swim singly, in pairs or in small groups, and are often found in coral-rich areas.-Species:...
- AmblypomacentrusAmblypomacentrusAmblypomacentrus is a small genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae with only two members. -Species:*Amblypomacentrus breviceps *Amblypomacentrus clarus Allen and Adrim, 2000...
- AmphiprionClownfishClownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
(anemonefishes) - AzurinaAzurinaAzurina is a small genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae with only two members. -Species:*Azurina eupalama Heller and Snodgrass, 1903 *Azurina hirundo Jordan and McGregor in Jordan and Evermann, 1898...
- Cheiloprion
- ChromisChromisChromis is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. While the term Damselfish describes a group of marine fish larger than just one genus, most damselfish are in the genus Chromis...
(chromis) - ChrysipteraChrysipteraChrysiptera is a genus of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae.-Species:* Chrysiptera albata Allen & Bailey, 2002* Footballer demoiselle, Chrysiptera annulata...
(demoiselles) - DascyllusDascyllusDascyllus is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae.-Species:*Dascyllus albisella *Dascyllus aruanus *Dascyllus auropinnis *Dascyllus carneus...
(dascyllus) - DischistodusDischistodusDischistodus is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. -Species:*Dischistodus chrysopoecilus *Dischistodus darwiniensis...
- Hemiglyphidodon
- Hypsypops (garabaldi)
- Lepidozygus
- Mecaenichthys
- MicrospathodonMicrospathodonMicrospathodon is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. -Species:*Microspathodon bairdii *Microspathodon chrysurus *Microspathodon dorsalis...
- NeoglyphidodonNeoglyphidodonNeoglyphidodon is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. -Species:*Neoglyphidodon bonang *Neoglyphidodon carlsoni *Neoglyphidodon crossi Allen, 1991...
- Neopomacentrus (demoiselles)
- Nexilosus
- ParmaParma (genus)Parma is a genus of damselfish in the Family Pomacentridae.-Species:* New Zealand black angelfish Parma alboscapularis Allen & Hoese, 1975* Bicolor scalyfin Parma bicolor Allen & Larson, 1979...
(scalyfins) - PlectroglyphidodonPlectroglyphidodonPlectroglyphidodon is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae.-Species:*Plectroglyphidodon dickii *Plectroglyphidodon flaviventris Allen and Randall, 1974 *Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis...
- PomacentrusPomacentrusPomacentrus is a genus of marine fish in the family Pomacentridae. These fish inhabit tropical locations and are often captured or bred as aquarium fish. - Species of Pomacentrus :*Pomacentrus adelus Allen, 1991...
- PomachromisPomachromisPomachromis is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. -Species:*Pomachromis exilis *Pomachromis guamensis Allen and Larson, 1975 *Pomachromis richardsoni...
(reef-damsels) - Premnas
- PristotisPristotisPristotis is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. -Species:*Pristotis cyanostigma Rüppell, 1838 *Pristotis obtusirostris...
- Similiparma
- StegastesStegastesStegastes is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae.-Species:*Stegastes acapulcoensis *Stegastes adustus *Stegastes albifasciatus...
(gregories) - Teixeirichthys