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Pomacentridae

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Pomacentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, comprising the damselfishes and clownfishes. This family were formerly placed in the order Perciformes or as indeterminate percomorphs, but are now considered basal blenniiforms.<ref name="Nelson5">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":132">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They are primarily marine, while a few species inhabit freshwater and brackish environments (e.g., Neopomacentrus aquadulcis, N. taeniurus, Pomacentrus taeniometopon, Stegastes otophorus).<ref name="Jenkins_Allen">Template:Cite journal</ref> They are noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality. Many are brightly colored, so they are popular in aquaria.

TaxonomyEdit

Around 385 species are classified in this family, in about 31 genera. Of these, members of two genera, Amphiprion and Premnas, are commonly called clownfish or anemonefish, while members of other genera (e.g., Pomacentrus) are commonly called damselfish.<ref name="FishBase">{{#invoke:Cite taxon|main|fishbase|genus=|species=|subspecies=}}</ref>

The members of this family were traditionally classified in four subfamilies: Amphiprioninae, Chrominae, Lepidozyginae, and Pomacentrinae.,<ref name="Allen1975">Template:Cite book</ref> although more recent phylogenetic analyses instead support the four subfamilies Chrominae, Glyphisodontinae, Microspathodontinae, and Pomacentrinae, with the clownfishes nested within the latter subfamily.<ref name="CofF" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The earliest known fossil damselfish is †Chaychanus from the Early Paleocene of Chiapas, Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

EtymologyEdit

The name of the family is derived from the Greek words; poma roughly translates to the English "cover", referring to the fishes' opercula, and kentron is Greek for sting. The name refers to the serrations found along the margins of the opercular bones in many members of this family.<ref name="FishBase"/>

Distribution and habitatEdit

Template:Multi image Pomacentrids are found primarily in tropical seas, with a few species occurring in subtropical waters (e.g., Hypsypops rubicundus). Most species are found on or near coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific (from East Africa to Polynesia). The area from the Philippines to Australia hosts the greatest concentration of species.<ref name=FotW>Template:Cite book</ref> The remaining species are found in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific.Template:Citation needed Some species are native to freshwater or brackish estuarine environments.<ref name=Jenkins_Allen/><ref name=EoF>Template:Cite book</ref>

Most members of the family live in shallow water, from Template:Convert in depth, although some species (e.g., Chromis abyssus) are found below Template:Convert.<ref name=Pyle_et_al>Template:Cite journal</ref> Most species are specialists, living in specific parts of the reef, such as sandy lagoons, 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.<ref name=EoF/>

Algae farmingEdit

The bottom-dwelling species are territorial, occupying and defending a portion of the reef, often centered on 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.<ref name=EoF/>

CharacteristicsEdit

File:Indo Pacific Sergeant Abudefduf vaigiensis in Sea of Dibba Fujairah UAE by Prof Dr Norman Ali Khalaf 2015.jpg
Indo-Pacific sergeant or damselfish in Sea of Dibba, Fujairah, UAE
File:Amphiprion ocellaris (Clown anemonefish) by Nick Hobgood.jpg
Clownfish with anemone

Most pomacentrids are relatively small. The tribe Microspathodontini includes the largest species and are collectively known as giant damselfishes, with the four largest species (Hypsypops rubicundus, Microspathodon bairdii, M. dorsalis and Nexilosus latifrons) reaching 30 cm (12 in) in length.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Pomacentrids have an orbiculate to elongated 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 Dascyllus have two on each side).<ref name="FotW" /> 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 on algae, plankton, and small bottom-dwelling crustaceans, depending on their precise habitats. Only a small number of genera, such as Cheiloprion, eat the coral where they live.<ref name=EoF/>

They also engage in symbiotic relationship with cleaner gobies of genus Elacatinus, allowing the gobies to feed on ectoparasites on their bodies.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Clownfish also have mutualistic relationships with anemones.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The anemone protects the clownfish while the clownfish rids parasites.

LifecycleEdit

Before breeding, the males clear an area of algae and invertebrates to create a nest. They engage in ritualised courtship displays, which may consist of rapid bursts of motion, chasing or nipping females, stationary hovering, or wide extension of their 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 50 to 1000 eggs.<ref name=EoF/>

The male guards the nest for the two to seven days needed for the eggs to hatch. The transparent larvae are Template:Convert long. They go through a pelagic stage, which depending on the species, can last as little as a week or more than a month.<ref name=Thresher_et_al>Template:Cite journal</ref> When they arrive at a suitable environment, the young settle and adopt their juvenile colors.<ref name=EoF/>

In captivity, pomacentrids live up to 18 years, but they probably do not live longer than 10 to 12 years in the wild.<ref name=EoF/>

GeneraEdit

The 5th edition of Fishes of the World recognises 31 genera in three subfamilies in the family Pomacentridae:<ref name = Nelson5/><ref name = CofF/><ref name = VDLEF/>

† means extinct Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Other authorities recognise 4 subfamilies and classify the family as follows:<ref name = CofF>Template:Cof family</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Template:Div col

  • Subfamily Chrominae
  • Subfamily Glyphisodontinae
    • Abudefduf
  • Subfamily Microspathodontinae
    • Lepidozygus
    • Mecaenichthys
    • Parma
    • Plectroglyphidodon
    • Stegastes
    • Tribe Microspathodontini
      • Hypsypops
      • Microspathodon
      • Nexilosus
      • Similiparma
  • Subfamily Pomacentrinae
    • Tribe Amphiprionini
    • Tribe Cheiloprionini
      • Cheiloprion
      • Chrysiptera
      • Dischistodus
      • Pomachromis
    • Tribe Hemiglyphidodontini
      • Acanthochromis
      • Altrichthys
      • Amblyglyphidodon
      • Hemiglyphidodon
      • Neoglyphidodon
    • Tribe Pomacentrini
      • Amblypomacentrus
      • Neopomacentrus
      • Pomacentrus
      • Pristotis
      • Teixeirichthys
  • †Palaeopomacentrus

Template:Div col end

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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