Distribution:
Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans; marine, very rarely found in brackish and freshwater.
Habitat:
Occur over sandy bottoms or near reefs.
Remarks:
Porgies have deep bodies, long faces, continuous dorsal fins, and jaws containing heavy molariform teeth. These robust teeth allow them to feed on hard-bodied prey such as small shellfish and other benthic invertebrates.
This family is very diversified in its feeding. While most are carnivorous, some species feed on plants. The porgies are one of the few percoid families to have adapted to eating plants, as herbivory becomes more common in more advanced groups.
This family comprises 33 genera with about 115 species.
References:
Helfman et al. 1997;
Nelson 2006;
Thomson et al. 2000