Dottyback

{{Short description|Family of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Dottybacks | image = Manonichthys splendens.jpg | image_caption = Splendid dottyback<br> ''Manonichthys splendens'' | taxon = Pseudochromidae | authority = Müller & Troschel, 1849<ref name = WoRMS>{{cite WoRMS |id=151438 |title=Pseudochromidae Müller & Troschel, 1849 |access-date=13 October 2018 |year=2015 |db=FishBase}}</ref> | subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies | subdivision = Anisochrominae<br> Congrogadinae<br> Pseudochrominae<br> Pseudoplesiopinae }}

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.<ref name=":132">{{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}}</ref> Around 152 species belong to this family.<ref name = Nelson5>{{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 }}</ref>

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}}.<ref name=EoF>{{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}}</ref> The largest by far, at up to {{convert|45|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}, is ''Congrogadus subducens''.<ref>{{FishBase | genus = Congrogadus | species = subducens| month = November| year = 2016}}</ref><ref name=CFFish>Lieske, E., and Myers, R. (1999). Coral Reef Fishes. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|0-691-00481-1}}</ref> Dottybacks are distinguished from other families by the presence of three or less spines in the dorsal fin and an incomplete lateral line organ.<ref name=EoF/>

Several of the brightly coloured members of the family are often seen in the marine aquarium trade, although some species are aggressively territorial.<ref>Goemans, B. (November 2008). [http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/dottybackschoose-carefully.htm Dottybacks—Choose Carefully!] TFH Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2016.</ref>

==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}}

Category:Pseudochromidae Category:Ovalentaria