| Stegastes leucostictus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Family: | Pomacentridae |
| Genus: | Stegastes |
| Species: | S. leucostictus |
| Binomial name | |
| Stegastes leucostictus | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Stegastes leucostictus is a species of damselfish found near the sea bed in shallow waters on the western fringes of the Atlantic Ocean. It is commonly known as the beau gregory or beaugregory. [3]
Stegastes leucostictus is a fairly deep-bodied, oval, laterally compressed bony fish, and grows to about 10 cm (3.9 in) long. It is rather variable in colour, but is generally dark blue or brown along the top of the head and the ridge of the back and yellowish on the flanks. The large dorsal fin has 12 spines and 13 to 16 soft rays. The anal fin has two spines and 12 to 14 soft rays. The caudal fin has a shallow fork and the paired pectoral and pelvic fins have no spines. The mouth is set at the tip of the snout. [3]
A juvenile S. leucostictus has blue stripes and spots on its head and a dull blue sheen on the top of the head and the upper part of the front half of the body. It has a large, black eye-spot ringed in blue, centered where the dorsal fin spines join the soft rays. As the juvenile develops, this spot moves upwards onto the fin. Also, a dark spot just above each pectoral fin distinguishes this species from others in the genus. [4]
Stegastes leucostictus is found in shallow waters at depths down to about 10 m (33 ft) in the western Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico south to Brazil. It is a demersal fish, normally remaining within 50 cm of the seabed. Its favoured habitats are seagrass meadows, rocky or coral reefs and sandy flats and it is sometimes found amongst mangroves. [3]
Stegastes leucostictus feeds mainly on seaweed, but also consumes marine worms, amphipods, foraminiferans and gastropod molluscs. [3] A male damselfish guards a territory, but seldom interacts with its neighbours, although it will attack a male of the same species introduced in a bottle placed in its territory. Dominance is related to the quality of the territory it occupies. The owner of a high-quality territory exhibits dominance and if it is removed and a subservient male moves in, it in turn develops dominance. [5]
During the breeding season, a male and a female form a pair bond. The eggs are hidden inside an empty shell or under a stone, and the male guards the nest and fans the eggs with its fins to keep them well oxygenated. [6]
The wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum (bluehead), preys upon the eggs of S. leucostictus. A male damselfish can evaluate the level of the threat posed by one or more wrasse and react appropriately. It either chases the other fish, harries it, or adopts a head-lowered, threatening posture. [7]
Aulostomus maculatus, the trumpetfish which is also known as the West Atlantic trumpetfish, is a long-bodied fish with an upturned mouth; it often swims vertically while trying to blend with vertical coral, such as sea rods, sea pens, and pipe sponges.
Stegastes is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Pomacentridae. Members of this genus are marine coastal fishes except for S. otophorus, which also occurs in brackish water. These fish are known by the names of damselfish, gregory and major. They are small tropical fish associated with coral and rocky reefs in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are sometimes found in the aquarium trade where they are an easy-to-keep fish, but they do not mix well with other fish of their own or other species because of their territorial habits and aggressiveness.
The French angelfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It occurs in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
The grey triggerfish or gray triggerfish, is a ray-finned fish in the triggerfish family. The species is native to shallow parts of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina and also the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa.
Stegastes nigricans, the dusky farmerfish, is a species of damselfish found around coral reefs at a depth of one to 12 meters, in tropical climates between 30°S and 30°N. They are known for farming monocultures of algae such as cyanophores and rhodophytes.
Stegastes variabilis is a 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. They are often solitary fish.
The leopard coral grouper, also known as the common coral trout, leopard coral trout, blue-dotted coral grouper or spotted coral grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Chrysiptera parasema, also known as yellowtail damselfish, yellowtail blue damsel, goldtail demoiselle, and other variations, is a popular saltwater aquarium fish from the Indo-Pacific. It was described by Fowler in 1918.
Cephalopholis fulva, the coney or the butterfish, 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. It is found in the western Atlantic. It is associated with reefs and is a quarry species for commercial and recreational fisheries. It can be found in the aquarium trade.
Pomacentrus moluccensis, the lemon damselfish, is a species of bony fish in the family Pomacentridae, from the Western Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 9 cm (4 in) in length.
Stegastes planifrons is a damselfish from the Western Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The ornate wrasse, Thalassoma pavo, is a species of wrasse native to the rocky coasts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is also popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.
Stegastes pictus, the yellowtip damselfish, is a species of damselfish found near the sea bed on shallow rocky reefs off the coast of Brazil, where it is endemic. It is a small, laterally-compressed, dark brown fish with yellow pectoral and caudal fins. It feeds on algae and detritus and is often found in the vicinity of the fire coral Millepora alcicornis. It is a territorial fish and forms a pair bond in the breeding season. The eggs are laid in a shallow scoop on the seabed and the male tends them to keep them well-aerated.
Stegastes fuscus, the dusky damselfish, is a species of bony fish in the family Pomacentridae found near the seabed in shallow waters on the western fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.
Stegastes partitus or the bicolor damselfish is a species of bony fish in the family Pomacentridae found near the sea bed on shallow rocky and coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and off the coasts of Florida.
Stegastes beebei, is a species of damselfish found on coral and rocky reefs at depths between 0 and 15 m. They are somewhat territorial, and chase away small intruders. They are omnivorous, grazing on algae and nibbling at small crustaceans and the tentacles of anemones. They are oviparous, with distinct pairing during breeding. The eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate. Males guard and aerate the eggs.
Neoglyphidodon bonang is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific. Adults can grow up to a maximum length of 13.5 centimetres (5.3 in). This fish is omnivorous. It is found in the aquarium trade.
Iniistius pentadactylus, the fivefinger wrasse or fivefinger razorfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses, which has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.
Latent sling-jaw wrasse is a species of ray-finned fish from the wrasse Family Labridae which is associated with reefs in the south-western Pacific Ocean.
Hologymnosus longipes, the sidespot longface wrasse or the plain slender wrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It occurs in the western Pacific Ocean.
