''Abudefduf taurus'', commonly known as the night sergeant, is a species of damselfish in the genus ''

Abudefduf ''Abudefduf'' also known as the sergeant-majors is a genus of fish in the family Pomacentridae. The name is from Arabic ''abu'', "the one with"; and ''def'', "side", and the intensive plural ending ''-duf''. The name thus means "the one with p ...

''. The species was originally described by

Johannes Peter Müller Johannes Peter Müller (14 July 1801 – 28 April 1858) was a German physiologist, comparative anatomy, comparative anatomist, ichthyology, ichthyologist, and herpetology, herpetologist, known not only for his discoveries but also for his ability ...

and Franz Hermann Troschel in 1848. It is a large damselfish, reaching in total length.

Distribution and habitat

''Abudefduf taurus'' is native to tropical and subtropical waters in Atlantic Ocean, where it occurs off the coast of southern Florida and in the Caribbean Sea, as well as

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

and the continental coast of Africa from Senegal to Angola. It has also been reported from northern South America. Adults of the species are typically found in rocky inshore reefs, in the vicinity of wave-cut rock ledges, tidepools, and limestone-rich coastal environments.

Ecology

''Abudefduf taurus'' is known to feed primarily on

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

. Adults of the species also feed on ''

Zoanthus ''Zoanthus'' is a genus of anthozoans in the family Zoanthidae. It is the type genus for its family and order. Species The following species are recognized in the genus ''Zoanthus'':(2018). Zoanthus Lamarck, 1801. Accessed through: World Regis ...

'' and hydroids, while juveniles may also consume

copepod Copepods (; meaning "oar-feet") are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat (ecology), habitat. Some species are planktonic (inhabiting sea waters), some are benthos, benthic (living on the ocean floor) ...

s. It is an

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

species, with individuals forming distinct pairs during breeding and males guarding and aerating substrate-attached eggs.

References

* Taxa named by Johannes Peter Müller Taxa named by Franz Hermann Troschel taurus Fish of Aruba Marine fish of Nicaragua Fish described in 1848 {{Pomacentridae-stub