Abudefduf saxatilis
A striped Atlantic damselfish with uncertain Mediterranean distribution.
The sergeant major, also called the píntano (Abudefduf saxatilis), is a type of damselfish that lives in the Atlantic Ocean. Its common name comes from the five dark vertical stripes on its sides, which look like the bars on a military sergeant major’s insignia.
This fish can reach about 22.9 cm (9.0 in) long, though most are around 15 cm (5.9 in). The heaviest recorded individual weighed 200 g (7.1 oz). It has 13 dorsal spines, 12 to 13 dorsal soft rays, two anal spines, and 10 to 12 anal soft rays. The body is white with a yellow top, and it has five black or dark blue vertical stripes. A faint sixth stripe may appear on the tail base. Adult males turn more bluish, with less visible stripes, and a dark spot surrounds their pectoral fins.
In the western Atlantic, the sergeant major ranges from the northeastern United States coast south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean islands, and the eastern coasts of Central and South America down to Uruguay. In the eastern Atlantic, it is found from Portugal, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and western Africa. Its presence in the Mediterranean is uncertain because it may be confused with Abudefduf vaigiensis and A. troschelii. Juveniles are common in tidal pools, while adults live over coral reefs, down to 40 m (130 ft).
The sergeant major eats invertebrate larvae, zooplankton (like copepods and shrimp larvae), pelagic tunicates, small fish, crustaceans, and various benthic and pelagic algae. It also feeds on the waste and vomit of spinner dolphins. Individuals form shoals of several hundred. They are cleaned of parasites by fish such as gobies in the genus Gobiosoma, Bodianus rufus, Elacatinus figaro, and Thalassoma noronhanum. Along with Acanthurus chirurgus and Acanthurus coeruleus, they also clean green sea turtles.
Predators include Plectropomus leopardus, Thalassoma bifasciatum, Cephalopholis cruentata, Epinephelus striatus, Mycteroperca venenosa, and Rachycentron canadum.
This species is found in the aquarium trade but is considered difficult to breed. Reproduction is oviparous: males build nests on rocks, reef outcrops, shipwrecks, and pilings. They court females by chasing them, and the female releases about 200,000 ovoid eggs, each attached to the substrate by a filament.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Abudefduf saxatilis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The sergeant major is white with a yellow top and five black or dark blue vertical stripes, with a faint sixth stripe possibly present on the caudal peduncle. Adult males have a more bluish coloration and their stripes are less visible, and a dark spot surrounds their pectoral fins. Juveniles are common in tidal pools, while adults are found over coral reefs down to 40 m (130 ft).
This fish feeds upon larvae of invertebrates, zooplankton, pelagic tunicates, smaller fish, crustaceans, and various algae, and is also known to feed on the waste and vomit of spinner dolphins. Individuals form shoals of about several hundred. They are cleaned of parasites by gobies and other fish species, and also clean green sea turtles alongside other surgeonfishes.
Reproduction is oviparous: males create nests on rocks, reef outcrops, shipwrecks, and pilings, where females lay about 200,000 ovoid eggs attached to the substrate by a filament. The eggs turn greenish after a few days and are guarded by the male for about a week, during which he becomes bluish in colour. The species is found in the aquarium trade but is regarded as difficult to breed.
Reader's Guide
The sergeant major is a widely distributed damselfish in the Atlantic Ocean, with populations ranging from the northeastern United States to Uruguay in the west, and from Portugal to western Africa in the east. Its presence in the Mediterranean Sea is uncertain due to possible confusion with Abudefduf vaigiensis and Abudefduf troschelii. The species is named for its brightly striped sides, which resemble the insignia of a military sergeant major. It plays a role in reef ecosystems as both predator and prey, feeding on a variety of invertebrates and algae, and being preyed upon by larger fish such as Plectropomus leopardus and Epinephelus striatus. Its behavior includes forming large shoals and engaging in cleaning mutualisms with other fish and green sea turtles. In the aquarium trade, it is present but considered difficult to breed. The species' maximum recorded length is 22.9 cm and weight 200 g, with typical adults reaching 15 cm.
Did You Know?
- The sergeant major can grow to a maximum length of about 22.9 cm (9.0 in).
- Males guard the egg masses for about a week, turning bluish in colour during that time.
- Its distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is unclear due to possible confusion with A. vaigiensis and A. troschelii.
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