Sergeant major | |
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Sergeant major swimming inshore at Phil Foster Park, Florida | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Family: | Pomacentridae |
Genus: | Abudefduf |
Species: | A. saxatilis |
Binomial name | |
Abudefduf saxatilis | |
Synonyms | |
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For other uses, see Sergeant major (disambiguation).
The sergeant major or píntano (Abudefduf saxatilis) is a species of damselfish. It grows to a maximum length of about 22.9 centimetres (9.016 in). [2]
Abudefduf saxatilis is found in the Atlantic Ocean. [2] Populations in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean are found from the north eastern coast of the United States south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, islands around the Caribbean Sea, the eastern coast of Central and South America all the way to Uruguay. [2] In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, they are found from Portugal, Azores, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and western Africa. [2] Its distribution remains unclear in the Mediterranean Sea due to possible confusion with Abudefduf vaigiensis and Abudefduf troschelii . [3] Juveniles are common in tide pools while adults are found over coral reefs. [2] Sergeant majors are found at depths of 0 to 40 metres (0 to 131 ft). [2]
Adults can grow up to 22.9 centimetres (9.0 in) at maximum length. [2] Normally, they would grow up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in). [2] The largest recorded specimen weighed had a weight of up to 200 grams (7.1 oz). [2] Abudefduf saxatilis has 13 dorsal spines, 12 to 13 dorsal soft rays, 2 anal spines, and 10 to 12 anal soft rays. [2] This fish is white with a yellow top. It has 5 black or dark blue vertical stripes. A faint sixth stripe might be present on the caudal peduncle. [2] Adult males have a more bluish coloration and its stripes are less visible. [2] There is a dark spot around its pectoral fin.
This fish feeds upon the larvae of invertebrates, zooplankton (such as copepods and shrimp larvae), pelagic tunicates, smaller fish, crustaceans, and various species of algae (both benthic and pelagic). [2] [4] It is also known to feed on the waste and vomit of spinner dolphins. [2]
Individuals of this species form shoals of about several hundred individuals. [2] Sometimes, they get cleaned of parasites by fish species such as gobies in the genus Gobiosoma , Bodianus rufus , Elacatinus figaro , and Thalassoma noronhanum . [2] Sergeant majors also clean green sea turtles along with Acanthurus chirurgus and Acanthurus coeruleus . [2]
Predators of this fish include Plectropomus leopardus , Thalassoma bifasciatum , Cephalopholis cruentata , Epinephelus striatus , Mycteroperca venenosa , and Rachycentron canadum . [2]
They are found in the aquarium trade but are regarded as difficult to breed. [5]
The sergeant major is an oviparous species in which the males create nests on rocks, reef outcrops, shipwrecks, and pilings where the females lay their egg masses. [6] The males actively chase the females in courtship before the female releases approximately 200,000 ref, ovoid eggs which are attached to the substrate by a filament; the eggs turn greenish after a few days and are guarded by the male. As he guards the eggs the male becomes bluish in colour, guarding them for about a week. [7]
Sergeant majors earn their name from their brightly striped sides, known as bars, which are reminiscent of the insignia of a military sergeant major. [7]
The black sea bass is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, where it is an important species for commercial and recreational fisheries.
The yellow tang, also known as the lemon sailfin, yellow sailfin tang or somber surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It is one of the most popular marine aquarium fish. It is bright yellow in color, and it lives in reefs. The yellow tang spawn around a full moon. The yellow tang eats algae. The yellow tang has a white barb, located just before the tail fin, to protect itself.
Paracanthurus hepatus is a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish. A popular fish in marine aquaria, it is the only member of the genus Paracanthurus. A number of common names are attributed to the species, including regal tang, palette surgeonfish, blue tang, royal blue tang, hippo tang, blue hippo tang, flagtail surgeonfish, Pacific regal blue tang, and blue surgeonfish.
The reef butterflyfish. also known as the least butterflyfish, Atlantic butterflyfish, butterbun or school mistress, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
The scissortail sergeant or striptailed damselfish is a large damselfish. It earns its name from the black-striped tail and sides, which are reminiscent of the insignia of a military Sergeant, being similar to those of the sergeant major damselfish. It grows to a length of about 16 centimetres (6.3 in).
The Indo-Pacific sergeant is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. It may also be known as the Sergeant major although this name is usually reserved for the closely related species Abudefduf saxatilis. The closely related Abudefduf caudobimaculatus was formerly considered to be synonymous with this species and, according to some authorities, is synonymous.
The doctorfish tang, also known as the doctorfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. These fishes are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
The greater amberjack, also known as the allied kingfish, great amberfish, greater yellowtail, jenny lind, Sea donkey, purplish amberjack, reef donkey, rock salmon, sailors choice, yellowtail, and yellow trevally, is a species of predatory ray-finned fish in the family Carangidae, the jacks and pompanos. It is found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical seas around the world. It is a popular quarry species for recreational fisheries and is important in commercial fisheries. It is the largest species in the family Carangidae.
Cephalopholis taeniops, the African hind, bluespotted sea bass or spotted grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. This species occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade and is a target for local fisheries. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Jansen's wrasse is a species of ray-finned fish, a wrasse from the family Labridae which is native to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. In the south-western Pacific Ocean it is replaced by sibling species black-barred wrasse. It can be found in the aquarium trade.
The doubleband surgeonfish or lieutenant tang, is a marine ray-finned fish in the family Acanthuridae. It is found in the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific region and grows to a maximum length of 31 cm (12 in).
The ornate wrasse is a species of wrasse native to the rocky coasts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This species, commonly known as the circus fish, is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is also popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.
The surge wrasse, also known as the green-blocked wrasse, purple wrasse or red and green wrasse, is a species of wrasse native to the southeast Atlantic Ocean through the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where it inhabits reefs and rocky coastlines in areas of heavy wave action at depths from the surface to 10 m (33 ft). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.
Acanthurus tractus, the five-band surgeonfish, ocean surgeon, or ocean surgeonfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Acanthuridae found in the western Atlantic Ocean, Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Until recently, it was considered a synonym of Acanthurus bahianus, but its status as a separate species was resurrected in 2011.
Menticirrhus saxatilis, the northern kingfish or northern kingcroaker, is a species of marine fish in the family Sciaenidae. It lives in the shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
Kyphosus azureus, the zebra-perch sea chub, zebra perch or zebra sea chub, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae which is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean coasts of North America.
Abudefduf troschelii, the Pacific sergeant major or Panama sergeant major, is a species of damselfish belonging to the family Pomacentridae that can be identified by the pronounced black stripes on the lateral sides of the fish. Its specific name honors the zoologist Franz Hermann Troschel (1810-1882). It is native to the neritic pelagic zone of the shallow water coral reefs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and they are an omnivorous species feeding on plankton and algae attached to their coral habitat. Abudefduf troschelii is a sister-species of A. saxatilis but have diverged from each other since the uplift of the isthmus of Panama, separated by the rise of the Panama land bridge 3.1 to 3.5 million years ago. Males, like in many other marine species, take care of and defend newborn A. troschelii after they have been hatched by eggs from the female. There are currently no major threats to the species and there is no indication of a current decline in its population size. The IUCN Red List lists this damselfish as being of “least concern”.
The yellowtail sergeant is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae native to the Indo-Pacific. It can grow to a maximum total length of 17 centimetres (6.7 in).
Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus, known as yellow damselfish, yellowfin damselfish, yellow flank damselfish, yellow side damselfish, and yellow-sided Damselfish, is part Pomacentridae, which is a family of ray-finned fish including damselfish and clownfish. This family represents the greatest diversity and abundance of fish species inhabiting coral reefs. They were first described in 1980 by Allen and Randall.
Stegastes xanthurus, also known as the Caribbean cocoa damselfish, is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae, found on coral and rocky reefs in the Caribbean Sea and neighboring areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.