The Damselfish Family – Pomacentridae

There are currently TWENTY-SIX members of the Damselfish or Pomacentridae Family, eleven from the Atlantic Ocean and fifteen from the Pacific Ocean, are presented in this website:

FROM THE ATLANTIC (11):

FROM THE PACIFIC (15):

The fish of the Damselfish or Pomacentridae Family are a fairly large group of small and very colorful reef fish, that include the Chromis, Damselfish, Garibaldi, Gregories, Night Sergeants, and Sergeant Majors with three hundred eighty-four global found in twenty-nine genera. They are found throughout the subtropical and tropical regions of the world’s oceans. They are known in Mexican fishing waters as castañetas and jaquetas.

The Damselfish have elongated to oval compressed bodies with small protrusible mouths that open in the front, conical teeth, and small gill rakers. They vary in color from drab hues of black, brown, and gray to brilliant combinations of orange, yellow, and neon blue. Many have juvenile stages with bodies that are yellow ventrally with bright blue striping across their head and back. The largest Damselfish has a maximum length of 36 cm (14 inches). They have anal fins with 2 spines and 10 to 14 rays, a caudal fin that varies from concave to forked, and a single continuous dorsal fin with 12 to 14 spines and 10 to 17 rays. Their spinous dorsal fin base in longer than the ray base. Their bodies are covered with large rough scales and their lateral line is incomplete or interrupted. They differ from nearly all other marine reef fish by possessing a single nostril on each side of their snout with a blind pouch. Most are strongly territorial and normally solitary but they are highly variable in habitat preference, feeding habits and behavior. They will vigorously defend their territory regardless of the size of the intruder. They are omnivores and feed on benthic algae, crustaceans, fish eggs and plankton. Reproduction includes elaborate courtships and egg attachment to the bottom via adhesive strands with the males generally guarding the eggs. Eggs hatch within two to seven days and the larvae becomes pelagic for up to seven  weeks before settling to the bottom.