Pomacentridae

Banded damselfish

Abudefduf abdominalis

Hawaiian groups where males guard the eggs

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Pacific Ocean
• Oceania
• Deep-bodied
• Compressed cross-section
• Medium
• Tropical fish

Sporting five bold vertical bars across a gleaming brassy-green silhouette, the banded damselfish (or Hawaiian sergeant) is a large, high-bodied pomacentrid endemic to the coral reefs of the Hawaiian archipelago. Its deep, compressed oval body displays a pale greenish-yellow or brassy hue along the upper torso, crossed by five prominent dark greenish-black vertical bars that taper toward the belly. The lower sides and abdomen are silvery-white, accented by a distinct black spot at the upper base of the pectoral fin and a deeply forked tail with sharp lobes. Native exclusively to Hawaii, Johnston Atoll, and the Midway Islands, it occupies coastal lagoons, basaltic surge channels, and outer drop-offs from one to fifty meters depth. Diurnal foragers form loose schools in the water column to feed on pelagic zooplankton and benthic algae. Males clear flat rock patches, turning deep purplish-blue during courtship displays to attract females, and aggressively guard demersal egg clutches. Maximum recorded total length reaches thirty centimetres.

Sources: FishBase & Bishop Museum — Banded Damselfish, Abudefduf abdominalis