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damselfish

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damselfish, common name for members of the large family Pomacentridae, marine fishes of tropical waters. Common in the West Indies and along the Florida coasts are the sergeant-major, named for its vertical stripes, and the reef fish, found among coral reefs. The clownfish and blue devil are popular aquarium species. Males of this family guard the eggs zealously. Damselfishes rarely grow to more than 6 in. (15 cm) in length. Certain damselfishes are found associated with sea anemones, which are injurious to the fishes' predators, and which afford protection to the damselfish. Damselfish are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate
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, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Pomacentridae.


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McCormick and colleagues took a close look at the impact of coral bleaching on damselfish, which are an important source of food for larger commercially fished species like coral trout.
The general lack of filamentous algae below 40-50 m depth in particular seems to be a limiting factor in the depth distribution of most damselfish species, although the structural matrix of the reef that provides shelter and nest sites, also decreases rapidly with increasing depth.
Fishes in the wrasse, parrotfish and damselfish families, among others, play vital roles as custodians of coral reefs.
 
 
 
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