dottyback
{{Short description|Family of fishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Dottybacks
| image = Manonichthys splendens.jpg
| image_caption = Splendid dottyback
Manonichthys splendens
| taxon = Pseudochromidae
| authority = Müller & Troschel, 1849{{cite WoRMS |id=151438 |title=Pseudochromidae Müller & Troschel, 1849 |access-date=13 October 2018 |year=2015 |db=FishBase}}
| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
| subdivision =
}}
The dottybacks are a family, Pseudochromidae, of fishes which were formerly classified in the order Perciformes or considered incertae sedis percomorphs, but are now considered basal blenniiforms.{{Cite web |last=Fricke |first=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}} Around 152 species belong to this family.{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=J. S. Nelson |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages=752 |publisher=Wiley |ISBN=978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |access-date=2018-10-13 |archive-date=2019-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194051/https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |url-status=dead }}
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 {{convert|10|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} in length, and some less than {{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on|1}}.{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.|author1=Johnson, G.D. |author2=Gill, A.C.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|isbn= 0-12-547665-5|page= 185}} The largest by far, at up to {{convert|45|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}, is Congrogadus subducens.{{FishBase | genus = Congrogadus | species = subducens| month = November| year = 2016}}Lieske, E., and Myers, R. (1999). Coral Reef Fishes. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|0-691-00481-1}} Dottybacks are distinguished from other families by the presence of three or less spines in the dorsal fin and an incomplete lateral line organ.
Several of the brightly coloured members of the family are often seen in the marine aquarium trade, although some species are aggressively territorial.Goemans, B. (November 2008). [http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/dottybackschoose-carefully.htm Dottybacks—Choose Carefully!] TFH Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
Genera
Family Pseudochromidae
- Subfamily Anisochrominae
- Anisochromis
- Subfamily Congrogadinae - eel blennies
- Blennodesmus
- Congrogadus
- Halidesmus
- Halimuraena
- Halimuraenoides
- Haliophis
- Natalichthys
- Rusichthys
- Subfamily Pseudochrominae
- Assiculoides
- Assiculus
- Cypho
- Labracinus
- Manonichthys
- Ogilbyina
- Oxycercichthys
- Pholidochromis
- Pictichromis
- Pseudochromis
- Subfamily Pseudoplesiopinae
- Amsichthys
- Chlidichthys
- Chlidichthys inornatus
- Lubbockichthys
- Pectinochromis
- Pseudoplesiops
Timeline
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References
{{Reflist}}
- {{FishBase family|family=Pseudochromidae|year=2006|month=January}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q244055}}
{{pseudochromidae-stub}}