Indo-Pacific sergeant
(Abudefduf vaigiensis)
Image source: Jo's Animal Database
General data
The Indo-Pacific sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis) is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae.
It may also be known as the Sergeant major although this name is usually reserved for the closely related species Abudefduf saxatilis.
The closely related Abudefduf caudobimaculatus was formerly considered to be synonymous with this species and, according to some authorities, is synonymous.
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, Tanzania, 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.
Likely introduced via Suez Canal in the Mediterranean Sea, where its distribution remains unclear due to possible confusion with Abudefduf saxatilis and Abudefduf troschelii.
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 (7.9 in).
Juveniles mature at 12 centimetres (4.7 in).[ Males turn more blue during spawning.
Many people confuse this fish for Abudefduf saxatilis, a closely related species found in the Atlantic Ocean.
