WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Indo-Pacific Sergeant

Abudefduf vaigiensis

Also known as: Common Sergeant, Five-banded Damselfish, Five-banded Sergeant Major, Scissortail Sergeant, Sergeant, Sergeant Major, Yellowback Sergeant

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2017
Adult
@fishx6 · Gangehi, Maldives · March 20081 / 34

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found in schools, either feeding in the water column, or tending their nests, over coral ledges and rocks, or upper edges of outer reef slopes, and inshore rocky reefs.
They feed high in the water column on benthic algae, small invertebrates, and zooplankton.

Damselfish are egg layers.
First they clear a site ready for a nest, then engage in a mating dance with rapid swimming and fin movements, during this time the males will often turn a shade or two darker and may display white blotches. Spawning occurs at dawn.

02

How to identify

Pattern
stripes

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03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Exact location · 5
  • Country only · 29
LIVES IN

Found in schools, either feeding in the water column, or tending their nests, over coral ledges and rocks, or upper edges of outer reef slopes, and inshore rocky reefs.

04

Adult photos 34

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderOvalentaria incertae sedis
    5. familyPomacentridae
    6. genusAbudefduf
    7. speciesAbudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)