Editing Pomacentridae (section)

==Characteristics==
[[File:Indo Pacific Sergeant Abudefduf vaigiensis in Sea of Dibba Fujairah UAE by Prof Dr Norman Ali Khalaf 2015.jpg|thumb|Indo-Pacific sergeant or damselfish in Sea of [[Dibba]], [[Fujairah]], [[UAE]]]]
[[File:Amphiprion ocellaris (Clown anemonefish) by Nick Hobgood.jpg|thumb|Clownfish with anemone]]
Most pomacentrids are relatively small. The tribe Microspathodontini includes the largest species and are collectively known as giant damselfishes, with the four largest species (''[[Garibaldi (fish)|Hypsypops rubicundus]]'', ''[[Microspathodon bairdii]]'', ''[[Giant damselfish|M. dorsalis]]'' and ''[[Coquito sergeant|Nexilosus latifrons]]'') reaching 30&nbsp;cm (12&nbsp;in) in length.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hensley |first=Dannie A. |last2=Allen |first2=Gerald R. |date=1996-02-02 |title=Damselfishes of the World |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1446968?origin=crossref |journal=Copeia |volume=1996 |issue=1 |pages=229 |doi=10.2307/1446968}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781482212105 |title=Biology of Damselfishes |date=2016-08-19 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4822-1210-5 |editor-last=Frédérich |editor-first=Bruno |edition=0 |language=en |doi=10.1201/9781315373874 |editor-last2=Parmentier |editor-first2=Eric}}</ref>

Pomacentrids have an orbiculate to elongated body shape, which is often laterally compressed.  They have interrupted or incomplete lateral lines and they usually have a single nostril on each side (some species of ''[[Chromis]]'' and ''[[Dascyllus]]'' have two on each side).<ref name="FotW" /> They have small- to medium-sized [[ctenoid]] scales. They have one or two rows of teeth, which may be conical or spatulate.

They display a wide range of colors, predominantly bright shades of yellow, red, orange, and blue, although some are a relatively drab brown, black, or grey. The young are often a different, brighter color than adults.

Pomacentrids are [[omnivorous]] or [[herbivorous]], feeding on algae, [[plankton]], and small bottom-dwelling [[crustacean]]s, depending on their precise habitats. Only a small number of genera, such as ''[[Cheiloprion]]'', eat the [[coral]] where they live.<ref name=EoF/>

They also engage in symbiotic relationship with cleaner gobies of genus ''[[Elacatinus]]'', allowing the gobies to feed on [[ectoparasites]] on their bodies.<ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Ivan Sazima |author2=Cristina Sazima |author3=Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho |author4=Rodrigo L. Moura |date=September 2000| title = Daily cleaning activity and diversity of clients of the barber goby, Elacatinus figaro, on rocky reefs in southeastern Brazil| journal = Environmental Biology of Fishes | volume =59 | issue =1| pages =69–77 | doi=10.1023/a:1007655819374|bibcode=2000EnvBF..59...69S |s2cid=24134075 }}</ref> Clownfish also have mutualistic relationships with anemones.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amphiprion - Encyclopedia of Life |url=https://www.eol.org/pages/46572499 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.eol.org}}</ref> The anemone protects the clownfish while the clownfish rids parasites.