Damselfish
Small reef fish known for territoriality and unique domestication behaviors.
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Most species are small, though the four largest can reach 30 cm in length.[1] They are found globally in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters, mostly in marine environments.[1]
Quick Facts
- Known for
- Territorial behavior
- domestication of mysid shrimps
- diverse mating strategies
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
While the vast majority of damselfish species are found in saltwater, a small number can live in brackish or freshwater settings.[1] For more than 85% of daylight hours, the domino damselfish (Dascyllus albisella) is engaged in foraging activities.[2][3] Caridea and copepods make up the primary diet for damselfish regardless of their body size.[2][3] In the water column, larger damselfish tend to feed at greater heights compared to their smaller counterparts.[2][3]
Damselfish move to higher parts of the water column to feed when currents are slow, as plankton is more abundant there.[2][3] With faster-moving currents, damselfish shift their foraging to areas nearer the seabed.[2][3] A positive correlation exists between current speed and the rate at which damselfish feed.[2][3] During the spawning season, the stomachs of male damselfish are smaller than those of females.[2][3]
What the specialist sources record
A 2007 study by Mann and Sancho on Dascyllus albisella documented that larger individuals forage higher in the water column.[3][2] Research by Karino and Kuwamura in 1997 showed that female Stegastes nigricans usually mate with a single male each morning.[4][5] That study noted that males generally consume smaller-than-average clutches and those in early development stages.[6][7] The same investigation noted that damselfish of every size class predominantly eat caridea and copepods.[3][2]
According to that research, the number of spawning visits a female makes is affected by how far away a male's territory is.[4][5]
References
- Wikipedia, "Damselfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hensley, "Damselfishes of the World", Copeia, 1996-02-02, p. 229; "Biology of Damselfishes", CRC Press, 2016-08-19; Hensley, "Damselfishes of the World", Copeia, 1996-02-02, p. 229; Bellwood, "A review of the fossil record of the Pomacentridae (Teleostei: Labroidei) with a description of a new genus and species from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy", Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 1996-0 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Damselfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mann, "Feeding Ecology of the Domino Damselfish, Dascyllus albisella", Copeia, 10 September 2007, p. 566–576 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- David A. Mann, "Feeding Ecology of The Domino Damselfish, Dascyllus Albisella", Copeia (2007), doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2007)2007[566:feotdd]2.0.co;2. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org
- Kenji Karino, "Plasticity in spawning visits of female damselfish, Stegastes nigricans : effect of distance to mates", Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (1997), doi:10.1007/s002650050363. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org
- Wikipedia, "Damselfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Karino, "Plasticity in Spawning Visits of Female Damselfish, Stegastes nigricans: Effect of Distance to Mates", Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1997, p. 55–59 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Christopher W. Petersen, "Filial cannibalism in the Cortez Damselfish stegastes rectifraenum", Evolution (1989), doi:10.2307/2409171. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org
- Wikipedia, "Damselfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Petersen, "Filial cannibalism in the Cortez Damselfish stegastes rectifraenum", Evolution, January 1989, p. 158–168 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Damselfish (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Damselfish (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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