Cheiloprion, Weber, 1913

Tang, Kevin L., Stiassny, Melanie L. J., Mayden, Richard L. & DeSalle, Robert, 2021, Systematics of Damselfishes, Ichthyology & Herpetology 109 (1), pp. 258-318 : 290

Cheiloprion .

— The sole species of the genus ( Cheiloprion labiatus ) is an obligate corallivore, one of only two known in the family, along with Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus (Allen, 1975a; Masuda et al., 1975, 1984; Sano et al., 1984a, 1984b; Cole et al., 2008). This uncommon diet is linked to its most noteworthy feature and the origin of its common name (Big-lip Damsel): thick lips that curl over the upper and lower jaws. The enlarged, modified lips may act as a protective mechanism against the stinging nematocysts of their prey (Allen, 1975a). Cheiloprion is distributed throughout the Indo-Australian Archipelago where, due to its dietary requirements, it occurs in close association with coral reefs (Allen, 1975a, 1991; Randall et al., 1997; Allen and Erdmann, 2012). It is the sister taxon of Chrysiptera sensu stricto in our phylogeny, which matches previous studies (Cowman and Bellwood, 2011; Litsios et al., 2012b; Lobato et al., 2014; DiBattista et al., 2016; Rabosky et al., 2018; Delrieu-Trottin et al., 2019).