Sergeant Major
Sergeant major (Brian Gratwicke / CC BY)
The sergeant major (píntano, Abudefduf saxatilis) is characterized by its brightly banded sides. It reaches 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length and tends to be found in tropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean. Sergeant majors are highly territorial. Despite their small size, they sometimes attack and chase divers who approach their nesting areas.
Inhabits the Atlantic Ocean.
This supplemental online resource accompanies the book Scuba Diving Hand Signals by Lars Behnke, available on
Amazon.