Sergeant major

The sergeant major or píntano (Abudefduf saxatilis) is a species of damselfish. It grows to a maximum length of about 22.9 cm (9.0 in).

Distribution

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 (130 ft).

Behaviour

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.