Order : Uncertain
Family : POMACENTRIDAE
Species : Abudefduf septemfasciatus
Maximum Length : 23 cm

Abudefduf septemfasciatus is a wide-ranging species which is distributed from the coast of East Africa, across the Indian Ocean, through Southeast Asia to the west and central Pacific Ocean.

It occurs in tropical shallow marine, coral reef or reef rubble habitats, including more exposed, outer reefs where wave surge is present.

The species feeds on algae and small invertebrates. Eggs are adhered to the substrate, and males jealously guard the eggs.

It can be identified by its 7 broad, dark grey bands on a pale background (the dark bands being broader than the intervening pale areas).  Most of its fins are dark-edged, and the two lobes of the caudal fin (tail fin) are rounded.

The closely-related, and similar-looking, Blackspot Sergeant Abudefduf sordidus has a significant dark patch on the upper peduncle (i.e. the area between the end of the dorsal fin and start of the tail fin): in Abudefduf septemfasciatus this feature is smaller and less well-defined.

Figs 1 and 2 : Example from Bora Bora, French Polynesia, in a warm, shallow lagoon. The absence of a significant dark patch on the upper peduncle (i.e. the area between the end of the dorsal fin and start of the tail fin) suggests this fish is not the Blackspot Sergeant Abudefduf sordidus. 

Fig 3 : Shallow lagoon with coral rubble substrate. 


References and links:

Fishbase - Abudefduf septemfasciatus