Order : Uncertain
Family : POMACENTRIDAE
Species : Abudefduf sexfasciatus
Maximum Length : 19 cm

The Scissortail Sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus, also known as the Stripe-tailed Damselfish, is associated with tropical coral reef or rocky shore habitats up to a depth of around 20 metres.

Its diet comprises zooplankton and algae. Like other species of sergeant, breeding pairs adhere their eggs to the substrate, which are then guarded and aerated by the male.

The species can be identified by 5 broad, dark bars on silvery or yellowish flanks: the upper part of each bar is broader than the base. The bar at the base of the tail fin may be faint. There is a broad, dark streak along the centre of each lobe of the forked tail fin.

This species ranges from the Red Sea and the coast of East Africa, across the Indian Ocean, through Southeast Asia to the western and central Pacific Ocean.


Figs 1 and 2 : Examples from the landward side of the island of Pangkor Laut, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. The other two fish at the left of Figure 1 are the closely-related Indo-Pacific Sergeant Abudefduf vaigiensis.

Fig 3 : Coastal habitat at Pangkor Laut comprising calm, shallow bays, sandy beaches and rocky headlands.

Fig 4 : Example from Bora Bora, French Polynesia, with silvery flanks and strong dark barring along each lobe of the tail fin.


References : Fishbase