Sergeant-major

Biology

Sergeant majors are very common tropical fish. Adults will abound in relatively shallow areas, such as reefs, whereas juveniles are more frequently found amongst patches of floating sargassum. As with all species in this family, it is the male who watches over the eggs. Schools with several hundred adult individuals are often sighted feeding together. Their diet includes algae, small crustaceans, fish and a wide assortment of invertebrate larvae.

Curiosities

During the breeding season, the males' colouration will shift from the typical five black stripes to a more bluish colouring.