ABSTRACT
Most damselfishes live in the relatively shallow waters around coral reefs, where the spectrum of downwelling sunlight still includes a wide array of wavelengths. The damselfishes make use of the full spectrum and exhibit a vast number of different colours and patterns. In this chapter, I will first discuss the underwater light environment, as it sets the limits for vision and determines the spectrum of possible colours. I will then go into what we know about the colours of damselfish and finally discuss current knowledge of visual systems in this family.
