Common Name: Indo-pacific Sergeant

Distribution: Abundant throughout Solitary Islands Marine Park. Widespread tropical Indo-Pacific, southern Japan to East Africa and Red Sea. In Australia recorded from Shark Bay in Western Australia, across the tropical north and south to southern New South Wales on the east coast. Also Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.

Ecological Notes: Frequents coastal and offshore reefs and islands, estuaries.

Additional Notes: Five dark blue bars, often with yellow patch on upper body. Usually small aggregations or large schools, often with other damsel species.  Feeds on zooplankton and detritus in the water column. Lays eggs on hard substrate and has been observed defending eggs against wrasse predators, especially Thalassoma lunare and Thalassoma lutescens. Grows to 20cm. 

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.237.