All fish / Pomacentridae

Sergeant Major Damselfish

Abudefduf saxatilis

Also known as sergeant major, atlantic sergeant major, sergeant major damsel, pintano, cow pilot, オヤビッチャ, 岩豆娘鱼, 五带豆娘鱼

This is a sturdy, deep-bodied damselfish with a silvery body, a yellow wash across the back and five bold black vertical bars. Keepers like it because it is very hardy, active and cheap, and it copes well in larger fish-only systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: marine flakes and pellets, mysis and brine shrimp, chopped seafood and algae-based foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Atlantic Ocean: western Atlantic from Canada to Uruguay including the Caribbean, plus the eastern Atlantic off West Africa

Breeding

Males guard purple egg patches laid on rocks or hard surfaces and turn bluish while breeding. Spawning sometimes happens in large aquariums, but rearing the tiny planktonic larvae is difficult.

Good to know

Adults become territorial and aggressive, so avoid timid tankmates and small tanks. It looks very like the Indo-Pacific Abudefduf vaigiensis and A. saxatilis may be mislabelled as that species, or the reverse.