Pomacentridae

Taxobox
name = Clownfish and damselfish


image_width = 200px
image_caption = Cocoa damselfish, "Stegastes variabilis"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Pomacentridae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.

Pomacentridae is a family of perciform fish, comprising the damselfishes and clownfishes. They are exclusively marine (rarely brackish), and noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality. Many are brightly coloured, so they are popular in aquaria.

Around 360 species are classified in this family, in approximately 28 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. "Chromis") are commonly called damselfish.FishBase family | family = Pomacentridae | year = 2007 | month = July]

Etymology

The name of the family is derived from the Greek words Greek "poma" and "kentron". "Poma" roughly translates to the English "cover", referring to the fishes' operculum. "Kentron" on the other hand is Greek for sting. These two refer to a particular diagnostic character of the family, specifically the spine(s) that can be found along the margin of the family members' operculum.

Genera

* "Abudefduf"
* "Acanthochromis"
* "Altrichthys"
* "Amblyglyphidodon"
* "Amblypomacentrus"
* "Amphiprion" (anemonefishes)
* "Azurina"
* "Cheiloprion"
* "Chromis" (damselfishes and chromis)
* "Chrysiptera"
* "Dascyllus"
* "Dischistodus"
* "Hemiglyphidodon"
* "Hypsypops"
* "Labrodascyllus"
* "Lepidozygus"
* "Mecaenichthys"
* "Microspathodon"
* "Neoglyphidodon"
* "Neopomacentrus"
* "Nexilosus"
* "Parma" (damselfish)
* "Plectroglyphidodon"
* "Pomacentrus"
* "Pomachromis"
* "Premnas"
* "Pristotis"
* "Stegastes"
* "Teixeirichthys

References

External links

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