Subfamily Pseudochrominae

Pseudochromidae: Pseudochrominae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Holotype of Pseudochromis quinquedentatus

© Copyright McCulloch, 1926

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Introduction

Gill (2004) revised the Pseudochrominae, recognising 80 species in 10 genera from the Indo-west-central Pacific and subsequently an additional 27 species have been described. Subsequently, three additional species were described by Gill & Allen (2004) and Gill & Tanaka (2004). Currently, 24 species and nine genera are known from Australia, with an additional species known only from Christmas Island.

Dottybacks are marine inhabitants, closely associated with coral reefs. Most species are cryptic dwellers in holes and crevices. Lubbock (1975) described the reproductive habits of an Indian Ocean Pseudochromis: a spherical egg mass is laid in a burrow by the female and subsequently cared for by the male; hatching occurs in about six days. Their diet comprises mainly small benthic invertebrates. The maximum standard length of the Australian species ranges from about 4 to 17 cm. General biology is reviewed by Gill (2004).

General References

Gill, A.C. 2004. Revision of the Indo-Pacific dottyback fish subfamily Pseudochrominae (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae). Smithiana, Publication in Aquatic Biodiversity, Monographs 1: 1-213

Gill, A.C. & Allen, G.R. 2004. Pseudochromis lugubris and P. tonozukai, two new dottyback fish species from the Indo-Australian Archipelago (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae: Pseudochrominae). Zootaxa 604: 1-12

Gill, A.C. & Tanaka, H. 2004. Pholidochromis cerasina, a new species of pseudochromine dottyback fish from the West Pacific (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 117: 17-22

Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. 2006. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [1062]

Lubbock, R. 1975. Fishes of the family Pseudochromidae (Perciformes) in the northwest Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Journal of Zoology, London 176(1): 115-157 pls 1-5

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