DAMSELS
Damselfish refers to members of the family
Pomacentridae, except those of the two genera
Amphiprion and Premnasmost, most usually Chromis
chromis. Other species within the family have common
names that include the word 'damselfish', but in almost
all cases this is qualified with an adjective or other
descriptor.
The average size of such damselfish is around 3 inches
(8 centimeters). They are all marine, however, a couple
of species are regularly found in the lower stretches of
rivers in pure freshwater, and usually have bright
colours. Some species of damselfish are able to adapt
well in an average aquarium, but others such as the
white-spotted damselfish cannot. The diet of a
damselfish can include small crustaceans, plankton,
and algae.
Many species of damselfish are kept as aquaria, and
live in tropical coral reefs; however, many also live in
temperate climates. One example would be damsels
inhabiting the coast of southern California and northern
pacific Mexican coast.
A common function for Damselfish is as a biological
stabilizer in new aquariums. The fish would live in the
aquarium during its initial existence, and be used to
allow the aquarium to biologically stabilize with
beneficial bacteria. This practice is viewed negatively by
many aquarists because of the foul conditions the fish
are subjected to and the fact that more humane
methods to stabilize an aquarium exist.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
