Sergeant-major

Length

Up to 22.9 cm

Body shape

Deep-bodied

Group

Missing

Smallest aquarium

292 liters

Diet

Missing

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Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Swims

Missing

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Temperature

–

pH

–

Juveniles are common in tide pools while adults are found over shallow reef tops. Adults frequently form large feeding aggregations of up to several hundred individuals. Food items include algae, small crustaceans and fish, and various invertebrate larvae. At Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, this species feeds on spinner dolphins’ feces and vomits. The offal feeding may be regarded as a simple behavioral shift from plankton feeding to drifting offal picking. Also, juveniles may hold cleaning stations together with the doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) and the blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) and graze algae as well as pick molted skin and parasites from green turtles (Chelonia mydas ). This behavior is preceded by a characteristic inspection usually followed by feeding nips on the turtles’ skin (head, limbs, and tail), as well as on the carapace. The most inspected and cleaned body parts are the flippers. Adult males adopt a bluish ground color when guarding eggs. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate. Attracted to divers who feed fish. Marketed fresh. Has been reared in captivity.