The Damselfish (Pomacentridae): The Damselfishes are a group of small, very colorful reef fishes found throughout the subtropical and tropical regions of the world’s oceans.

These differ from nearly all other marine reef fishes by possession of a single nostril that occurs on each side of the snout that is a blind pouch. Most Pomacentridae are strongly territorial and solitary. They are omnivores feeding, on bethic algae, crustaceans, plankton, and fish eggs. There are a total of 321 species of the Pomacentridae known globally, of which 13 are found in the Sea of Cortez.

Members of the Damselfish Family represented in the fish identification section of this website include: the Beaubrummel Major, Stegastes flavilatus; Bumphead Damselfish, Microspathodon dorsalis; Cortez Angelfish, Pomacanthus zonipectus; Cortez Damselfish, Stegastes rectifraenum; Giant Damselfish, Microspathodon dorsalis; King Angelfish, Holacanthus passer; Mexican Night Sergeant, Abudefduf declivifronsi; Oval Chromis, Oval Damselfish or Silverstripe Chromis, Chromis alta; and Panamic Sergeant Major, Abudefduf troschelii.