Stegastes variabilis

Stegastes variabilis, commonly known as the Brazilian cocoa damselfish, is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. They live on coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of Brazil. They normally do not live with other fish.

Stegastes variabilis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Family:	Pomacentridae
Genus:	Stegastes
Species:	S. variabilis
Binomial name
Stegastes variabilis (Castelnau, 1855)
Synonyms
Pomacentrus variabilis Castelnau, 1855 Eupomacentrus variabilis (Castelnau, 1855) Pomacentrus flaviventer Troschel, 1865 Eupomacentrus chrysus T.H. Bean, 1906

Taxonomy

The genus name is Greek for stegastos. It means covered. In the past, the Caribbean cocoa damselfish was believed to be in the same species as the Brazilian cocoa damselfish, This is not true, the population from the Caribbean is genetically different.

Description

The Brazilian cocoa damselfish is in the shape of an oval that is pressed in at the sides. It grows to about 12.5 cm (4.9 in) long. The top of the head and the snout have many blue stripes. The top of the body is generally dark brown, blue or brown. It has shades to yellow on the lower body. The sides have bars of vertical dark lines. They have two small black spots on their bodies. One is above the pectoral fins. The other on the top of the caudal peduncle. The large dorsal fin has twelve spines and between fourteen and seventeen soft rays. The anal fin has two spines and between twelve and fifteen soft rays. The caudal fin is forked and has rounded lobes.

Distribution and habitat

Brazilian cocoa damselfish are found near Brazil in the western Atlantic Ocean. They do not migrate. These fish have a depth range of 0–30 m (0–98 ft).

Ecology and behaviour

Feeding

Adults mainly eat benthic algae. They also eat sponges, ascidiacea and anemones. The young of the species eat invertebrates such as harpacticoid copepods and nemerteans.

Breeding

In the breeding season, the female lays eggs on the seabed. The eggs attached to empty shells, stones or other objects. They are then fertilized by the male. He then guards them, aerates them and chases away intruders. The fish are aggressive when they are breeding. There is also a distinct pairing during the breeding.