cocoa damselfish

Stegastes variabilis

Pomacentrid Fish beneath Western Atlantic

Tropical
Regional distribution
Marine fish
Atlantic Ocean
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Deep-bodied
Compressed cross-section
Small
Tropical fish

Stegastes variabilis, commonly known as the Brazilian cocoa damselfish, is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae, found on coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean and off Brazil. They are often solitary fish.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Blennies and Allies
Family: Pomacentridae
Genus: Stegastes
Maximum length: 12.5 cm
Water: Marine
Body shape: deep_bodied
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Brazil. Caribbean (described from Cuban specimens) species refers to Stegastes xanthurus (formerly considered as a junior synonym of S. variabilis ). Populations from Brazil and the Caribbean are genetically very distinct (Roberstson & van Tassell, 2012; accessed 08 August 2016; http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/3884).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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