Sergeant Major

Photo: Fae Sapsford · CC BY-NC

Sergeant majors aggregate above the Vixen in schools of hundreds, feeding on zooplankton drifting in from the open ocean and defending nest sites on the hull's flat iron surfaces. Males turn vivid blue-purple when guarding egg masses laid on the metal substrate, a conspicuous territorial display visible from the surface. Their abundance makes the wreck a feeding station for larger pelagics including amberjack and bar jack that patrol the perimeter.