The Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis) is a vividly colored, medium-sized damselfish recognized by its bright yellow and blue stripes and is commonly found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the western coast of Africa. While not a primary target of large-scale commercial fisheries, Sergeant Major is often caught incidentally in artisanal and small-scale fisheries, especially in countries with vibrant reef ecosystems. The top countries where Sergeant Major is harvested include Brazil, Cuba, the Bahamas, and several West African nations such as Senegal and Ghana. In these regions, local fishers catch Sergeant Major for subsistence, local markets, and sometimes for the aquarium trade, rather than for export or industrial processing. The fishing industry for this species remains relatively small and localized, reflecting the fish’s ecological role as a common reef inhabitant rather than a major commercial resource.
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Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.