Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XIII+12-13; A, II+10-12; P, 18-19; V, I+5; LL, 21-22  photo : R. Cendón Soler

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body deep and compressed. Small head with slightly oblique mouth, its jaws reaching back to the vertical of anterior edge of eye. One row of closed-set incisiform teeth in both jaws. Each tooth having small notch on its upper end. Preopercular edge smooth. Continuous dorsal fin, its spines shorter than its rays. Caudal fin forked. Pectoral and pelvic fins relatively long, reaching vertical of anus. First pelvic ray elongated. color : silvery-white belly and yellow upper body, greenish yellow above, shading to white below, with 5 prominent vertical black bars, the first from dorsal fin origin to pectoral fin base, the fifth from the posterior margin of dorsal and anal fin; two black spots can be present on the caudal peduncle, close to the basis of caudal fin, one black spot at the upper base of the pectoral fins. The adult male becomes dark bluish. size : common: 10- 15 cm (max. 23 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Abudefduf vaigensis: the last dark vertical body bar does not reach the posterior margin of dorsal and anal fin. Chromis chromis: body uniformly brown, no vertical bars. Sparidae: two pairs of nostrils; continuous lateral line. Apogonidae: two dorsal fins. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Littoral species. Lives in small to medium groups Feeds on small planktonic invertebrates, small fishes, as well as colonial anemones and algae. Eggs attached to hard substrate and guarded by the adults. habitat : shallow waters  to depth of 20 m. near rocks and coral reefs also sandy substrates and tide pools.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Catalan Sea, Spain, 2009. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : both sides of the Atlantic, Canada to Uruguay in the western Atlantic, mid-Atlantic islands and from Cape Verde to Angola in the eastern Atlantic. Mediterranean : a record from the Catalan Sea, Spain [there is a questionable early record from Naples (Tardent, 1959)]. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Gibraltar likely but human transportation (e.g. aquarium release or ballast waters) cannot be excluded. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Allen G.R., 1991. Damselfishes of the world. Mergus Publishers, Melle, Germany. 271 p. Azzurro E., Broglio E., Maynou F. and Bariche M., 2013. Citizen science detects the undetected: The case of Abudefduf saxatilis from the Mediterranean Sea. Management of Biological Invasions, 4(2): 43-50. Tardent P., 1959. Capture d'un Abudefduf saxatilis vaigiensis Q. und G. (Pisces, Pomacentridae) dans le Golfe de Naples. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 66: 347-351. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet : November 2013 © ciesm 2001