ðɪs wˈɜːd wʌz ɐplˈaɪd tʊ ɐ nˈʌmbɚɹ ʌv pˈɜːkəmˌoːɹf fˈɪʃᵻz, sˈʌtʃ ɐz dˈæmsɛlfɪʃ, kˈɑːɹdɪnˌælfɪʃ, dˈɑːɾɪbˌæks, ɹˈæsᵻz ænd sˈɪtʃaɪldz, baɪ ˌɪkθɪˈɑːlədʒˌɪsts æz ðiːz wɜː θˈɔːt təbi klˈoʊsli ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd.
This word was applied to a number of percomorph fishes, such as damselfish, cardinalfish, dottybacks, wrasses and cichilds, by ichthyologists as these were thought to be closely related.