Night Sergeant

Night Sergeant, Juvenile

The Night Sergeant has a yellowish-brown body with five dark vertical stripes that are wider than the lighter bands between them. Its body is oval and flattened from side to side, with large scales. The head has a relatively short snout, and the upper lip slightly overlaps the lower lip. The dorsal and anal fins are large and fan-like, and the tail has rounded edges. The pectoral fin is often clear or translucent.

The Night Sergeant lives in shallow rocky areas, often staying near dark crevices. In the daytime it eats mainly algae, but adults also eat small invertebrates, while the young eat tiny crustaceans. During breeding, males become a darker color and protect a nest where females lay sticky eggs. The male then guards and cleans the eggs until they hatch.