Family POMACENTRIDAE: Damselfishes 

 By LoREN P. Woods and Leonard P. Schultz 



No attempt was made to revise this large complicated family consist- 

 ing of very numerous species, some of which are closely related, of 

 small size, and generally difficult to identify. This latter is especially 

 true if few species are available for comparison. 



The family is characterized by having II anal spines, X to XIV 

 dorsal spines; teeth small, conical to compressed, mostly adapted to 

 feeding on algae; a single nostril each side of snout. 



Since the pelvic rays normally are 1,5 and branched caudal fin 

 rays 7 or 8+6 or 7, usually 7+6, these are omitted in descriptions. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF POMACENTRIDAE FROM THE NORTHERN MARSHALL AND 



MARIANAS ISLANDS 



la. Transverse scale rows more than 50; suborbital and preopercle margins serrate; 

 opercle, subopercle, and interopercle with radiating striae and strong 

 serrations; snout naked; teeth of jaws in single row; dorsal spines X, 



rarely XI Amphiprion Bloch and Schneider 



16. Transverse scale rows less than 40; dorsal spines XII to XIV. 



2a. Teeth of jaws conical, biserial, outer row larger, more widely spaced than 



teeth of inner row, which are often villiform, usually forming a band 



near front of jaws; 2 or 3 short free spines at base of caudal fin above 



and below. 



3a. Suborbital margin, preopercle, and subopercle serrate; body ovate, its 



greatest depth 1.40 to 1.55 in standard length; angle of upper profile 



with lengthwise axis of body 60 to 80 degrees Dascyllus Cuvier 



36. Suborbital margin entire when free, usually poorly defined and sometimes 

 not evident; subopercle entire, preopercle entire, or crenulate, some- 

 times finely serrate; body elliptical, its greatest depth 1.70 to 2.0; 

 angle of anterior upper profile with lengthwide axis of body 40 to 50 



degrees Chromis Cuvier 



26. Teeth of jaws not conical but compressed at tips, incisiform (at least at 

 front of jaws) or long and slender with tips pointed or rounded, in one 

 or two rows but second row close against outer and not forming a band; 

 base of caudal without any free spines. 

 4a. Preopercular margin serrate; suborbital serrate or entire. 



Pomacentrus Lacepfede 

 46. Preopercular margin entire, suborbital margin always entire. 



Abudefduf Forskil 



Genus AMPHIPRION Bloch and Schneider 



^mp/izpT-ton Bloch and Schneider, Systema ichthyologiae . . . , p. 200, 1801 (type 

 species, Lutjanus ephippium Bloch). — Schultz, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 

 103, pp. 187-201, pis. 9 and 10, 1953. 



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