Abudefduf sordidus

Abudefduf sordidus, commonly known as the blackspot sergeant or kūpīpī in Hawaii, is a large solitary damselfish in the family Pomacentridae native to the tropical Indo-Pacific.^[2][3][4][5]

Abudefduf sordidus
Compared to a sailfin tang (right)
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Blenniiformes
Family:	Pomacentridae
Genus:	Abudefduf
Species:	A. sordidus
Binomial name
Abudefduf sordidus (Forsskål, 1775)
Synonyms
Abudefduf tridentatus Chaetodon sordidus Glyphisodon geant Glyphisodon géant Glyphidodon leucopleura

Description

Blackspot sergeants are generally yellowish-grey in colour with six brown broad bars, six to seven narrow light bars and a black spot at the upper base of the tail.^[3] They can reach up to 24 cm (9.4 in) in total length^[5] and are known to live up to nine years in the wild.^[3]

Habitat and behavior

Blackspot sergeants are common in tidepools and rocky shallow areas with moderate surge at a depth of 0 to 3 m (0 to 10 ft).^[3][6][7] Juvenile blackspot sergeants are common in tidepools where they feed on algae, small animals, and plankton.^[7] Once they mature and become bigger, they are known to move towards deeper areas with more surge.^[7] Blackspot sergeants are very territorially aggressive, especially towards other fish in tidepools.^[7][4] During the day they are often found near rocky areas, although at night they tend to take shelter under various objects.^[7] Blackspot sergeants are oviparous and males build a nest site in rocky areas to attract females.^[7][3] During this mating period they are believed to be especially aggressive.^[3]