Cocoa damselfish (Stegastes variabilis)

Scientific name: Stegastes variabilis Castelnau, 1855

Cocoa damselfish (Stegastes variabilis)

The Cocoa damselfish (Stegastes variabilis) is a marine fish of the family Pomacentridae. Native range: Western Atlantic, Florida (USA), Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea to Brazil.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-17; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 12 - 15. Caudal fin slightly forked, with rounded lobes. Dark brown or blue above, shading to yellow below. Narrow, dark, obliquely vertical lines on side. Snout and forehead have bright blue lines. Small dark spot in pectoral axil, another on top of caudal peduncle.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Stegastes variabilis
Family
Pomacentridae (Damselfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
12.5
Depth range
0–30 m (0–98 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 30 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Florida (USA), Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea to Brazil.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Aquarium: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

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Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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