Dottyback

Dottybacks
Splendid Dottyback
Manonichthys splendens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pseudochromidae
Subfamilies

Anisochrominae
Congrogadinae
Pseudochrominae
Pseudoplesiopinae

The dottybacks are a family, Pseudochromidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes. Around 100 species belong to this family.

They are found in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific, where most inhabit coral reefs. Many species are brightly coloured fish, often showing striking sexual dimorphism. They are generally small, mostly less than 10 cm (4 in) in length, and some less than 2 cm (0.8 in).[1] The largest by far, at up to 45 cm (1 ft 6 in), is Congrogadus subducens.[2][3] Dottybacks are distinguished from other families by the presence of three or less spines in the dorsal fin and an incomplete lateral line organ.[1]

Several of the brightly coloured members of the family are often seen in the marine aquarium trade, although some species are aggressively territorial.[4]

Genera

Family Pseudochromidae

Timeline

Quaternary Neogene Paleogene Holocene Pleist. Miocene Oligocene Eocene Paleocene Quaternary Neogene Paleogene Holocene Pleist. Miocene Oligocene Eocene Paleocene

References

  1. 1 2 Johnson, G.D.; Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N., eds. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2016). "Congrogadus subducens" in FishBase. November 2016 version.
  3. ↑ Lieske, E., and Myers, R. (1999). Coral Reef Fishes. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00481-1
  4. ↑ Goemans, B. (November 2008). Dottybacks—Choose Carefully! TFH Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2016.


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