Stegastes adustus
Dusky Damselfish
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Pomacentridae (Damselfishes)
Stegastes
Stegastes adustus (Dusky Damselfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Coarsely serrated preopercular margin; relatively short anal fin; lachrymal bone not notched; incisor-like jaw teeth; 16-18 gill rakers on first arch; head length 30%-32% SL; snout length 8%-10% SL; eye diameter 8%-9% SL; upper jaw length 7%-8% SL; pectoral fin length 28%-32% SL; body depth 51%-54% SL; pectoral fin rays 20-22; dorsal fin XII, 14-17; anal fin rays 13-15; caudal fin forked; lateral line scales 18-21; cheek scales in four major rows; opercular scales in three columns; scales extend over most of dorsal and anal fins
Dark gray to blackish with vertical black lines on body; small black spot often present on axil of pectoral fin; fins dusky except pectoral fin, which is pale; faint blue spots on head and anterior body; juveniles lighter with orange-red nape, spinous dorsal fin, and upper back; large blue-edged black spot on dorsal fin base and small blue-edged black spot on upper caudal peduncle; color in preservative dark brown in adults and light brown in juveniles
Distribution
Western Atlantic from southern Florida to Venezuela, including northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and Antilles; single record from Bermuda
Habitat Associations
Rocky shores exposed to wave action; depth range to 5 m
Associated with rocky shores
Biology
Benthic algae, detritus, polychaetes, and harpacticoid copepods
Maximum known size 100 mm SL
Adults inhabit rocky shores exposed to wave action. Often in tide pools. Feed primarily on algae and detritus. Territorial and pugnacious. Generally common (Ref. 9710). Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205). Taken incidentally in traps and small-meshed beach nets (Ref. 5217).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters); parental care: paternal. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2010-11-15. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968 (as Eupomacentrus dorsopunicans and E. sp.)
Randall 1968a, 1996 (as Stegastes dorsopunicans)
Emery 1973 (as E. fuscus)
Greenfield and Woods 1974 (as E. dorsopunicans)
Hoese and Moore 1977, 1998 (as Pomacentrus fuscus)
Castro-Aguirre and Márquez-Espinoza 1981 (as P. fuscus in part)
Robins and Ray 1986 (as P. fuscus)
Allen 1991 (as S. dorsopunicans)
Smith 1997 (as S. dorsopunicans)
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Carter 2002
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Allen, G.R. (1991) Damselfishes of the world. Mergus Publishers, Melle, Germany. 271 p.
Claro, R. (1994) Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., B.B. Collette and B.E. Luckhurst (1999) Fishes of Bermuda: history, zoogeography, annotated checklist, and identification keys. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 4. 424 p.
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