Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Sergeant major

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Perciformes \| Pomacentridae
Synonyms	Chaetodon saxatilis, Glyphidodon saxatilis, Abudefduf ascensionis, ... more
Common names	Sergeant-major, Sergeantmajor, Five finger, ... more

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AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS

Main reference

Allen, G.R. 1991. (Ref. 7247)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator : Allen, Gerald R. | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 22.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26340); common length : 15.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3139); max. published weight: 200 g (Ref. 5288)

Environment

Reef-associated; non-migratory; marine; depth range 0 - 20 m (Ref. 58047)

Climate / Range

Subtropical; 41°N - 37°S, 89°W - 14°E

Atlantic Ocean: Canada (Ref. 5951) to Rhode Island, USA to Uruguay in the western Atlantic, abundant on Caribbean reefs; around islands of the mid-Atlantic, Cape Verde, and along the tropical coast of western Africa south to Angola. This species is strictly an Atlantic species. It is replaced in the Indo-Pacific region by the closely related Abudefduf vaigiensis (G. Allen, pers. comm.).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12. Greenish yellow above, shading to white below, with 5 prominent vertical black bars that narrow toward belly (Ref. 26938). A faint sixth bar may be present posteriorly on caudal peduncle; a black spot at upper base of pectoral fin. The adult male becomes dark bluish, the black bars thus less conspicuous on the body (Ref. 13442).

Juveniles are common in tide pools while adults found over shallow reef tops. Adults frequently form large feeding aggregations of up to several hundred individuals. Food items include algae, small crustaceans and fish, and various invertebrate larvae (Ref. 3139). At Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, this species feeds on spinner dolphins’ feces and vomits. The offal feeding may be regarded as a simple behavioral shift from plankton feeding to drifting offal picking. Also, juveniles may hold cleaning stations together with the doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) and the blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) and graze algae as well as pick molted skin and parasites from green turtles (Chelonia mydas ). This behavior is preceded by a characteristic inspection usually followed by feeding nips on the turtles’ skin (head, limbs, and tail), as well as on the carapace. The most inspected and cleaned body parts are the flippers (Ref. 48727, 51385). Adult males adopt a bluish ground color when guarding eggs. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Attracted to divers who feed fish. Marketed fresh (Ref. 3139). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35420).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Harmless

Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

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Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low to moderate vulnerability (32 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Froese, Rainer

Modified by Luna, Susan M.

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Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

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