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Species/Notes of Interest To Aquarists:
This genus (now including Eupomacentrus) of some thirty four species,
includes the feisty Gregory's and other mainly shallow reef Damsels, that live
solitarily... about rocks and caves in the sand they dig.
| Stegastes acapulcoensis (Fowler 1944), the Acapulco
Major. Eastern Pacific; Baja California to Peru. To five and a half inches
in length. To variably brown/tan adults from gorgeous blue juveniles.
Shown, one inch specimen off Mexico's Cabo San Lucas. |
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| Stegastes
arcifrons (Heller & Snodgrass 1903), the Island Major. Good looking
and... quite a bonus, a known Aiptasia eater! To 13 cm. Eastern
Pacific: Costa Rica and from Cocos, Malpelo and Galapagos islands
in shallow, rocky shores. Typical for genus, this is a territorial
species that is constantly looking for, if not driving off members of
its own and often, other fish species. Feeds on algae and small
invertebrates, including tubeworms and anemone tentacles.
Intermediate and
adult individuals in the
Galapagos.
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=12510&genusname=Stegastes&speciesname=arcifrons |
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| Stegastes apicalis De Vis 1885, the Australian
Gregory. Western Pacific, east coast of Australia. To six inches maximum
length. The four inch individual pictured photographed on Australia's GBR
off Heron Island. |
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| Stegastes diencaeus (Jordan & Rutter 1897), the
Longfin Damsel. Tropical west Atlantic. To five inches in length.
Occasionally imported and sold as juveniles. Adults an overall brown with
dark margins on all scales. Juveniles in the Bahamas and St. Thomas. |
 
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| Stegastes fasciolatus (Ogilby 1889), the Pacific
Gregory. Indo-west Pacific. Not a great beauty and at up to six inches in
length, a handful. But an interesting, intelligent addition to a rougher
aquarium setting. These images younger to older individuals in
Hawai'i. |
| Stegastes favilatus (Gill 1862), the Beaubrummel
Gregory. Tropical eastern Pacific. A Pacific model (sibling species) of
the Atlantic Beau Gregory, S. leucostictus, and just as feisty.
Adults just as plain brown as well. To almost four inches in length.
This juvenile off Mexico's Cabo San Lucas, Baja. |
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| Stegastes fuscus (Cuvier 1830), the Dusky or
Brazilian Damselfish. Tropical West Atlantic (and eastern, off Senegal).
To five inches in length. Feeds on benthic algae, hydroids, algae,
copepods by day. Adult off of Cozumel. |
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| Stegastes leucostictus (Muller &
Troschel 1848), the Beau Gregory Damsel. Tropical west Atlantic. To almost
three inches in length. A standard in the trade, coming out of the
Atlantic though feisty toward other fish livestock. Adult in St. Lucia. |
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| Stegastes lividus (Forster 1801), Blunt Snout
Gregory. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa through to and including the
Micronesians. To 13 cm. An aggressive species found in shallow water,
feeding on filamentous algae and driving off would-be competitors for
food, including divers! N. Sulawesi pic. |
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| Stegastes partitus (Poey 1868), the Bicolor
Damselfish. Tropical west Atlantic. To two and a half inches in length.
Occasionally imported for our use. Not tremendously beautiful looks-wise,
but an interesting aquarium species just the same. St. Lucia and Cancun
photographs. |
 
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| 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. |
| 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 after their
dorsal fins. Adults yellowish below, grading to brown above. Juv. and
adult images taken in the Bahamas. |
 
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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.
Thresher, R.E., P.L. Colin & Lori J.
Bell. 1989. Planktonic duration, distribution and population structure of western and
central Pacific damselfishes (Pomacentridae). Copeia 1989(2), pp. 420-434.
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