Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Family: POMACENTRIDAE, Chromis, Damselfish, Damselfishes, Gregories, Night Sergeants, Sergeant Majors


All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

1 pr nostrils
D XII-XIV, 10-17 (spiny base > soft base)
mouth small, opens at front
body, head & bases of median fins scaled
A II
LL incomplete/interrupted

FAMILY POMACENTRIDAE

DAMSELFISHES, CHROMIS, GREGORIES, NIGHT SERGEANTS, SERGEANT MAJORS

Damselfishes are small (to 35 cm), elongate to ovoid, compressed fishes; 1 pair of nostrils (in neotropical genera); mouth small, protrusible, opens at front; jaw teeth conical, incisors or brush-like; no teeth on roof of mouth; gill rakers small, usually < 35-40; a single continuous dorsal fin, XII-XIV, 10-17 in the neotropics (up to XVII, 21 in other regions), base of the spinous part longer than the soft part; anal fin II (rarely III), 10-14; caudal fin concave to forked; scales are moderately large and rough; body scaled, head largely scaled, as are the basal parts of the median fins; lateral line incomplete or interrupted.

The damselfish family Pomacentridae occurs worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. Approximately three-fourths of the 384 known species from 29 genera are found in the Indo-West Pacific region where they are common inhabitants of coral reefs. In the Greater Caribbean there are 19 species in 4 genera: 10 endemics, 2 SW Atlantic, 4 W Atlantic and 3 Pan-Atlantic.

PREPARED BY D ROSS ROBERTSON, AFTER CARTER (2002)