Sargeant Major
Abudefduf saxatilis
A striped reef guard with military-looking bars.
Sargeant Majors zip around reefs in silvery schools, flashing yellow backs and five dark bars. Their name comes from those bars, which resemble the rank marks of a military sergeant major.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Sargeant Major home
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Not currently in a ready-to-play deck
You can still find this SeaPal in the card gallery while planning your own custom deck.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- Western Atlantic reefs, rocks, wrecks, pilings, and floating Sargassum.
- Favorite foods
- Algae, plankton, small crustaceans, larvae, and fish eggs.
- Size check
- Up to 9 in (23 cm) — about a dinner plate across
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
The accepted common spelling is Sergeant Major.
- 2
Males darken to bluish colors while guarding eggs.
- 3
Females attach purple eggs to cleaned rock surfaces.
- 4
Young fish may shelter beneath drifting mats of Sargassum.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
A guarding male fearlessly chases intruders away from his egg patch.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Count five bold black bars across a yellow-topped silver body.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.