Dottybacks | |
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Splendid dottyback Manonichthys splendens | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
(unranked): | Ovalentaria |
Family: | Pseudochromidae Müller & Troschel, 1849 [1] |
Subfamilies | |
Anisochrominae Contents |
The dottybacks are a family, Pseudochromidae, of fishes which were formerly classified in the order Perciformes, but this has been revised and the family is regarded as of uncertain affinities, or incertae sedis within the Ovalentaria, a clade within the Percomorpha. Around 152 species belong to this family. [2]
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). [3] The largest by far, at up to 45 cm (1 ft 6 in), is Congrogadus subducens . [4] [5] Dottybacks are distinguished from other families by the presence of three or less spines in the dorsal fin and an incomplete lateral line organ. [3]
Several of the brightly coloured members of the family are often seen in the marine aquarium trade, although some species are aggressively territorial. [6]
Family Pseudochromidae
Pseudochromis aldabraensis, the orange dottyback, neon dottyback or Arabian dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Pseudochromidae, the dottybacks. It is commonly kept in marine aquariums.
The royal dottyback, also called the bicolor dottyback, gramma dotty or false gramma is a fish commonly kept in marine aquariums. The front of the fish is bright purple and the posterior is yellow. In an aquarium, it will grow up to three inches long. The dottyback will defend its territory against fish several times its size, but gets along with many other common aquarium fish. It is sometimes mistaken for a royal gramma.
The carpet eel-blenny, also known as the green wolf eel or green wolf eel blenny, is a relatively large species of dottyback found in coastal parts of the Indo-West Pacific, including coral reefs, among rocks, seagrass beds, tidal flats and in brackish habitats. Despite the common names, it is unrelated to the true wolf eel of the North Pacific, the true eel of the order Anguilliformes and the true blennies of the suborder Blennioidei.
Manonichthys alleni, the Sabah dottyback is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Pseudochromidae, the dottybacks. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 12 centimetres (4.7 in) in length. This dottyback has only been known from Indonesia and Malaysia, but was recently recorded in Davao Gulf in the southern Philippines. The specific name honours the ichthyologist Gerald R. Allen of the Western Australian Museum in Perth who collected the type specimen and provided photographs of this species which Gill used in his description, as well as being in recognition of Allen's contribution to the knowledge of Indo-Pacific fish and of the support Allen gave Gill in is work on the Pseudochromidae.
Manonichthys polynemus, the longfin dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Pseudochromidae, the dottybacks. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 12 cm in length. This species lives solitarily on steep outer reef slopes and in parts of the reef with dense coral growth. Like its congeners, it has been recorded in the body cavities of large sponges. It is uncommon which has a restricted range, being found in Indonesia off northern Sulawesi and nearby islands, in the southern Philippines and Palau.
Pholidochromis cerasina is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Pseudochromidae, the dottybacks, from the Western Pacific. This fish occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 7.9 cm in length.
Congrogadus is a genus of ray-finned fishes, the type genus of the subfamily Congrogadinae, the eel blennies, part of the dottyback family, Pseudochromidae. The genus Congrogadus has an Indo-Pacific distribution.
Pectinochromis is a monospecific genus of ray-finned fish from the subfamily Pseudoplesiopinae in the family Pseudochromidae, the dottybacks. The only species in the genus is Pectinochromis lubbocki, a small reef living dottyback from the Red Sea. This genus is the sister taxon to the genus Chlidichthys. The specific name honours the Cambridge University ichthyologist Roger Lubbock (1951–1981), in recognition of his work on the taxonomy of the subfamily Pseudoplesiopinae.
Chlidichthys auratus, the golden dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Chlidichthys bibulus, the nosey dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Chlidichthys johnvoelckeri, the cerise dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Chlidichthys cacatuoides, the cockatoo dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Chlidichthys clibanarius, the chainmail dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Chlidichthys foudioides, the Fody dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Lubbockichthys myersi, the dottyback, is a species of fish in the family Pseudochromidae.
Pseudochromis madagascariensis, the Madagascan dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from Madagascar, which is a member of the family Pseudochromidae. This species reaches a length of 5.2 cm (2.0 in).
Pseudochromis melanurus, the black-tail dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from Tonga and Fiji in the Pacific Ocean, which is a member of the family Pseudochromidae. This species reaches a length of 4.0 cm (1.6 in).
Pseudochromis marshallensis, the Marshall Island dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Pacific Ocean, which is a member of the family Pseudochromidae. This species reaches a length of 8.0 cm (3.1 in).
Pseudochromis perspicillatus, the Southeast Asian blackstripe dottyback, or bandit dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Western Pacific Ocean, which is a member of the family Pseudochromidae. This species reaches a length of 12.0 cm (4.7 in).
Pseudochromis pylei, Pyle's dottyback, is a species of ray-finned fish from the western central Pacific Ocean, which is a member of the family Pseudochromidae. This species reaches a length of 8.0 cm (3.1 in).