Pomacentridae

views updated May 18 2018

Pomacentridae (damselfish, anemonefish; subclass Actinopterygii, order perciformes) A very large family of mostly marine fish that have a relatively short but deep body, a small mouth, a single nostril on each side of the head, and an incomplete lateral line. They are often very conspicuous because of their beautiful colour patterns. There are about 230 species, found mainly in the Indo-Pacific region.