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Green damselfish (Abudefduf abdominalis) — Pomacentridae

Green damselfish

Abudefduf abdominalis
Family: Pomacentridae
LC · Least Concern

The Green damselfish (Abudefduf abdominalis) is a saltwater fish of the family Pomacentridae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–50.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The Hawaiian sergeant is a damselfish occurring mainly around the Hawaiian Islands. The species grows to about 30 cm and has a deep, silvery to yellow-green body with five dark cross-bars. It forms large, active schools over rocky and coral reefs and feeds on algae, zooplankton and small benthic life. Males fiercely guard the purple eggs laid on stone. The fish is harmless to humans. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Green damselfish?

The Green damselfish has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly yellow-gold and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Green damselfish live?

The Green damselfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Green damselfish get?

The Green damselfish grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Green damselfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Green damselfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Green damselfish edible?

The Green damselfish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Hawaiiaanse sergeant verified
English name
Green damselfish verified
Scientific name
Abudefduf abdominalis
Family
Pomacentridae
Other names
Hawaiian sergeant; Maomao; Sergeant major verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Yellow / gold sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Abudefduf

More from the family Pomacentridae

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