Clownfish and Damselfish Codexery

Stegastes variabilis

A solitary damselfish found off Brazil with blue stripes on the head.

Last updated

Stegastes variabilis

João D'Andretta · via Wikipedia: Stegastes variabilis · CC BY 4.0

It grows to about 12.5 cm long and is often solitary.[1] The species was described by Castelnau in 1855 and is accepted in both WoRMS and GBIF.[2][3] A marine damselfish belonging to the Pomacentridae family, Stegastes variabilis is also called the Brazilian cocoa damselfish.[1][2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderBlenniiformes
  6. FamilyPomacentridae
  7. GenusStegastes
  8. SpeciesStegastes variabilis

Named by (Castelnau, 1855)

Close relatives

Other species of Stegastes with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Stegastes variabilis (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at order: WoRMS AphiaID 276688 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2022

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Stegastes variabilis and a personA 0.12 m long stegastes variabilis drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.12 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.12 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Stegastes variabilis

Where the stegastes variabilis has been recorded

Where the stegastes variabilis has been recorded36 mapped locations from 55,352 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (55,352 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 19 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Biology and range

The species is found in the western Atlantic off Brazil, on coral reefs, at depths from 0 to 30 m, and does not migrate.[1] This species reaches about 12.5 cm in length, has an oval shape, and its body is compressed from side to side; its large dorsal fin contains 12 spines and between 14 and 17 soft rays.[1] Blue stripes appear on the snout and the upper part of the head; the body's upper side is dark brown or blue, transitioning to a yellow color on the lower side.[1] Eggs are deposited by the female on the seabed, attached to shells or stones, after which the male provides protection and aeration.[1]

During breeding, fish form distinct pairs and display aggressive behavior.[1]

What the specialist sources record

The WoRMS database lists Stegastes variabilis under the order Ovalentaria incertae sedis, class Teleostei, with a marine environment.[2] GBIF records 55,661 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[3] The GBIF backbone places the species in the order Perciformes, family Pomacentridae.[3]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Stegastes variabilis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stegastes variabilis on FishBase (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. World Register of Marine Species, Stegastes variabilis (AphiaID 276688). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  3. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Stegastes variabilis (taxon key 2398885). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Stegastes variabilis (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Pomacentridae)

Abudefduf notatus Abudefduf notatusAbudefduf saxatilis Abudefduf saxatilisAbudefduf septemfasciatus Abudefduf septemfasciatusAbudefduf sexfasciatus Abudefduf sexfasciatusAbudefduf sordidus Abudefduf sordidusAbudefduf troschelii Abudefduf troschelii

Named in this entry

StegastesCoral reef

More in Clownfish and Damselfish

Spiny chromisChromis veraterAmphiprionFusilier damselfishGaribaldi (fish)Maroon clownfishPomacentrinaeAmphiprion akindynosAmphiprion akallopisosAmphiprion barberiOrange-fin anemonefishAmphiprion chagosensis

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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