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Related FAQs: Stegastes, Damsel Identification, Damsel Selection, Damsel Compatibility, Damsel Feeding, Damsel DiseaseDamsel Reproduction,

Related Articles: The family Pomacentridae, the Damselfishes

/A Diversity of Aquatic Life

 Genus Stegastes Damselfishes, part 4

To: part 1, part 2, part 3,

 

By Bob Fenner

 
Stegastes planifrons (Cuvier 1830), the Three-Spot (Atlantic) Damsel. Tropical west Atlantic. To three and a half inches overall length. Juveniles, with their bright yellow bodies and bold black body spots are occasionally caught for aquarium use... ultimately turning into bland brown behemoths. Juvenile and sub-adult in the Bahamas. Full size one that bit me in Cozumel.
Verticals (Full/Cover Page Sizes Available
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Stegastes rectifraenum (Gill 1862), the Cortez Gregory. A bright blue beauty of the Sea of Cortez, twixt Mexico's Baja and Pacific shore as a juvenile... whose metallic luster breaks up and becomes dull to dark brown as an adult. To three and a half inches in length. Juv. picture from Mulege, adult off Punta Chivato, Mar de Cortes.

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Stegastes variabilis (Castelnau 1855), the Cocoa Damselfish. Tropical west Atlantic. To three inches long. Similar to Beaubrummel, but juveniles bear a distinct black ocellus on the rear upper part their dorsal fins that extends onto the body; head quite bluish. Adults yellowish below, grading to brown above. Juv. Roatan 2019 and intermediate image below taken in the Bahamas. 

 

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Allen, Gerald R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas. TFH Publications, Neptune City, N.J.

Allen, Gerald R. 1976. How many sergeant majors? Marine Aquarist 7(6):76.

Allen, Gerald R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Aquarium Systems, Mentor, Ohio.

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 1978. The Biology of the Damselfishes a symposium held during the 56th annual meeting of the ASIH. Rosentiel School of Mar. & Atm. Sci. U. of Miami, 1980, 145-328.

Bunn, D., 1987. Spawning the Dusky Damsel. Aquarist Pondkpr. 52(1):41

Fenner, Robert. 1998. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Microcosm, VT. 432pp.

Fenner, Robert. 1999. The indomitable damsels- Family Pomacentridae. TFH 1/99.

Gronell, A.M., 1984. Look-alike damsels. TFH 32(8) 48-53.

Hemdal, J., 1985. Pomacentrids of the Atlantic. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine 8(4) 48-52

Pearson, Scott. 1993. On photographing the feisty damsels. Sea Frontiers May/June 93.

Stratton, Richard F. 1991. The Beau Gregory. TFH 1/91.

Stratton, Richard F. 1992. The Beau Brummel damsel. TFH 7/92.

To: part 1, part 2, part 3,

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