The Fish Chronicles: Part One, Sergeant Majors

Hello Reader! Welcome to the Fish Chronicles! I am going to be your guide for a while, telling you about some fish that we see here in the Caribbean. Let's start with the Sergeant Major Fish (or, if you like Latin names, Abudefduf Saxatilis).

A Sergeant Major

A Group of Sergeant Majors

 Sergeant Major Fish are common reef-goers that live in shallow water. They are relatively large Damsel Fish, growing up to nine inches. The Sergeant Major earned its name from the stripes on its side, which, if turned sideways, vaguely resemble a military Sergeant Major's insignia.  Sergeant Majors eat algae, small crustaceans, small fishes and some invertebrate larvae. Adult Sergeants will form large feeding aggregations, sometimes in groups of hundreds of fish. Like most Damsel Fish, the Sergeant Major can be rather aggressive and territorial to other reef inhabitants. 

This blog brought to you courtesy of Katie, my favorite Fish Whisperer.   :)    Check back soon for more Fish Chronicles from Katie.

Thanks for reading,

~ Jenn