Stegastes variabilis
Cocoa 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 variabilis (Cocoa 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
Serrated preopercular margin, relatively long anal fin, narrow saddle-shaped blotch on top of caudal peduncle, lachrymal bone not notched, incisor-like jaw teeth, suborbital shelf attached to cheek, 2 spines on upper margin of operculum, gill rakers on first arch short and moderately slender (15 or 16, with 8 or 9 on lower limb), head length 31%–33% SL, snout length 7%–9% SL, eye diameter 7%–9% SL, upper jaw length 8%–9% SL, pectoral fin length 25%–30% SL, body depth 45%–50% SL, pectoral fin rays 18 to 21, dorsal fin spines 12 and rays 14 to 17, anal fin rays 12 to 15, caudal fin forked, lateral line scales 18 to 20, cheek scales in four rows, opercular scales in three columns
Dark brown to bluish on upper half of body and bright yellow on lower half, with dark vertical lines along scale margins and a small saddle-shaped blotch on upper margin of caudal peduncle; pectoral fins yellow with a small blackish spot on upper base; juveniles blue dorsally and yellow ventrally with a large black spot on rayed section of dorsal fin; in preservative, dark brown with dark vertical lines and a saddle-shaped blotch usually evident
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles
Habitat Associations
Coral reefs, to a depth of 30 m
Associated with coral reefs
Biology
Benthic algae, sponges, hydroids, anemones, and ascidians
Maximum known size is 88 mm SL
Adults inhabit inshore and offshore coral reefs. They feed mainly on benthic algae but also on sponges, ascidians and anemones while juveniles feed on invertebrates like harpacticoid copepods and nemerteans (Ref. 9626). Often solitary (Ref. 9626). Juveniles are aggressively territorial (Ref. 9626). Aggressive when breeding (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 2021-10-04. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968 (as Eupomacentrus variabilis)
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Emery 1973 (as E. variabilis)
Bright and Cashman 1974 (as E. variabilis)
Greenfield and Woods 1974 (as E. variabilis)
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998 (as Pomacentrus variabilis)
Robins and Ray 1986 (as P. variabilis)
Allen 1991
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith Vaniz et al. 1999
Carter 2002
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.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.
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. and H.L. Jelks (2014) Marine and inland fishes of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands: an annotated checklist. Zootaxa 3803(1):1-120.
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