Pseudochrominae
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| Pseudochrominae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sunrise dottyback Pseudochromis flavivertex | |
 | |
| Diadem dottyback Pictichromis diadema | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Pseudochromidae |
| Subfamily: | Pseudochrominae Müller & Troschel, 1849[1] |
Pseudochrominae is a subfamily of ray-finned fishes, one of four subfamilies that make up the family Pseudochromidae, the species within the subfamily are commonly called dottybacks. They are small reef-associated marine fish which have an Indo-Pacific distribution.
In the Pseudochrominae the pelvic fin has a single spine and five rays which are branched, the head is covered in scales, there are teeth on the palatine bone and there are 16-20 rays in the pectoral fin. The lateral line is divided into two, with a longer part running from the head to the posterior part of the dorsal fin and located just below the dorsal fin and the other, shorter part on the rear of the flanks. They grow to a maximum length of 19 centimetres (7.5 in).[2]
Distribution
The subfamily Pseudochrominae has a widespread distribution in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, mainly in tropical areas. Their distribution extends from the eastern coast of Africa, east across the Indo-Pacific region to American Samoa. The southern limits of the distribution is Durban in South Africa and the Elizabeth Reef in the northern Tasman Sea off Australia and north as far as southern Japan.[3]