Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Abudefduf saxatilis
CommonPomacentridaeHarmless
ID points
- Five black vertical bars on a silvery white ground, back tinged yellow
- Males guarding eggs turn deep blue-purple
- Often milling in large groups in shallow water over reef flats
Basics
- Family
- Pomacentridae
- Length
- 15–23 cm
- Depth
- 0-20 m
- Regions
- Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic
- Distribution
- Inshore reefs of tropical seas worldwide
- Habitat
- Shallow inshore reefs
- Diet
- Algae, zooplankton
Easily confused with
Clark's AnemonefishBody black to dark brown with three broad white bands
Humbug DamselfishThree straight broad black vertical bands on a white ground
ClownfishOrange body with three broad white bands, each edged in blackFun fact
The five black bars along its side look like a sergeant's shoulder stripes, which is how it got the name. While guarding eggs the male turns a deep purple-blue and fiercely chases off anything that comes close.