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Abudefduf saxatilis

Abudefduf saxatilis

Sargento
Castanheta-das-rochas

Family: Pomacentridae
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Description


The sergeant major or píntano (Abudefduf saxatilis) is a species of damselfish. It grows to a maximum length of about .

Distribution and habitat: Abudefduf saxatilis is found in the Atlantic Ocean. Populations in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean are found from the northeastern coast of the United States south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, islands around the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast of Central and South America to Uruguay. In the eastern Atlantic, they are found from Portugal, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and western Africa. Its distribution remains unclear in the Mediterranean Sea due to possible confusion with A. vaigiensis and A. troschelii.
Juveniles are common in tidal pools, while adults are found over coral reefs. Sergeant majors are found down to 40 m.

 Adults can grow to a maximum of , but more typically grow to 15 cm. The largest recorded specimen weighed had a weight of 200 g. A. saxatilis has 13 dorsal spines, 12 to 13 dorsal soft rays, two anal spines, and 10 to 12 anal soft rays. This fish is white with a yellow top. It has five black or dark blue, vertical stripes. A faint sixth stripe might be present on the caudal peduncle. Adult males have a more bluish coloration and their stripes are less visible. A dark spot surrounds their pectoral fins.

Ecology: Diet: 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). It is also known to feed on the waste and vomit of spinner dolphins.

Behavior: Individuals of this species form shoals of about several hundred individuals. Sometimes, they get cleaned of parasites by fish species, such as gobies in the genus Gobiosoma, Bodianus rufus, Elacatinus figaro, and Thalassoma noronhanum. Sergeant majors also clean green sea turtles along with Acanthurus chirurgus and Acanthurus coeruleus.

Predators: Predators of this fish include Plectropomus leopardus, Thalassoma bifasciatum, Cephalopholis cruentata, Epinephelus striatus, Mycteroperca venenosa, and Rachycentron canadum.

In the aquarium: They are found in the aquarium trade, but are regarded as difficult to breed.

Reproduction: 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. The males actively chase the females in courtship before the female releases about 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.

Etymology: Sergeant majors earn their name from their brightly striped sides, known as bars, which are reminiscent of the insignia of a military sergeant major.

Source: Wikipedia, article Abudefduf saxatilis. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 15/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Count: 25

Foto
Photography ID: 704049
  Adult

Playa Jibacoa
Mayabeque
Cuba
09/10/2015
Gabriel Gorrín Armas
Foto
Photography ID: 704048
  Adult

Playa Jibacoa
Mayabeque
Cuba
09/10/2015
Gabriel Gorrín Armas
Foto
Photography ID: 704047
  Adult

Playa Jibacoa
Mayabeque
Cuba
09/10/2015
Gabriel Gorrín Armas
Foto
Photography ID: 704046
  Adult

Playa Jibacoa
Mayabeque
Cuba
09/10/2015
Gabriel Gorrín Armas
Foto
Photography ID: 704045
  Adult

Playa Jibacoa
Mayabeque
Cuba
09/10/2015
Gabriel Gorrín Armas
Foto
Photography ID: 627218
♂ ♀
  Adult

Fernando de Noronha
Pernambuco
Brazil
03/11/2025
Glauco Oliveira
Foto
Photography ID: 604238
  Adult

Isla Tintipan
Bolívar
Colombia
09/03/2024
Glauco Oliveira
Foto
Photography ID: 557016
  Adult

Praia Taipu de Fora
Bahia
Brazil
08/01/2022
Glauco Oliveira
Foto
Photography ID: 404966
♂ ♀
 
Maragogi
Alagoas
Brazil
04/11/2013
Glauco Oliveira



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Species records

Count: 31



Page 1 of 4
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
248994419/06/2026Dominican RepublicLa AltagraciaParque Nacional Cotubanamá (Parque Nacional del Este)Adrian Braidotti
226388511/03/2025BrazilPernambucoFernando de NoronhaGlauco Oliveira
216442706/10/2024CuraçãoCurazaoBahía Piscadera40Andres Espindola
216417606/09/2024ColombiaMagdalenaParque Nacional Natural TayronaGlauco Oliveira
216722203/09/2024ColombiaBolívarIsla TintipanGlauco Oliveira
217038906/02/2024Dominican RepublicLa AltagraciaHotel catalonia bayahibe, Bayahíbe50Pablo Richter
179896723/07/2023ColombiaSan Andrés y ProvidenciaRocky Kay, San AndrésHugo Caverzasi
171692422/01/2023BrazilRio de JaneiroPraia Saco da Velha, Paraty30Santiago Juan Torres
191556101/08/2022BrazilBahiaPraia Taipu de ForaGlauco Oliveira
87773323/01/2019BrazilSanta CatarinaIngleses Sul, FlorianópolisJorge La Grotteria
Page 1 of 4

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Abudefduf saxatilis – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 14/09/2026.