Indo-Pacific Sergeant Major

Appearance

"Abudefduf vaigiensis" are white bluish with a yellow top. They have a black spot around their dorsal fin. It has yellow eyes. The dorsal fin on this fish has 13 dorsal spines and 11 to 14 dorsal soft rays. The anal fin on the Indo-Pacific sergeant has 2 anal spines and 11 to 13 anal soft rays. Its maximum recorded size is 20 centimetres. Juveniles mature at 12 centimetres. Males turn more blue during spawning. Many people confuse this fish for "Abudefduf saxatilis", a closely related species found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Distribution

The Indo-Pacific sergeant is found in the Indo-Pacific including the Red Sea.Indian Ocean populations are found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, Arabia, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Maldives, eastern Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Sea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia. Populations in the Pacific Ocean are found in the Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, the Yellow Sea, the Great Barrier Reef around Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific islands all the way to Hawaii. They were also recently thought to have been found in the Mediterranean Sea but it has been found that the majority, if not all, of the specimens from the Mediterraean are of "Abudefduf saxatilis", an Atlantic species.

Behavior

These fish form large aggregations. In the aggregations, individuals either feed in the midwater or tend their nests.

Habitat

Adults live in coral reefs, tide pools, and rocky reefs. Larva of this species live in the open sea. It is found in tropical and subtropical waters. Depth ranges of 1 to 15 metres are where people encounter this fish.

Reproduction

Males turn more bluish during spawning. They build nests on rocks or coral ledges. Then, females lay their eggs in the nests and the male fertilizes them. Males guard and aerate the eggs until they hatch.

Food

They feed on zooplankton, benthic algae, and small invertebrates.