Related FAQs: Stegastes, Damsel Identification, Damsel Selection, Damsel Compatibility, Damsel Feeding, Damsel Disease,  Damsel 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)

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size.

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.

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size.

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,