Life-history traits facilitate the population success of the sergeant major Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758, Perciformes: Pomacentridae) in the Caribbean Sea

Trade-offs among life-history traits (e.g. growth, reproduction, and survival) are fundamental to the population success of living beings in the wild. This study describes the life-history traits of the sergeant major, Abudefduf saxatilis, one of those fishes most abundant in the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea. The reproductive biology, age, growth, and abundance of a particular population of A. saxatilis from Mexico was explored using 12 monthly samplings to collect 414 specimens, and abundance monitoring through visual censuses for age-based demographic analysis. Our results indicated that A. saxatilis would have an opportunistic strategy with a type II survivorship curve since the studied population was characterized by fast growth, maturation at intermediate sizes (approximate to 11 cm L-T or 2.5 yrs. old), with batch spawning and indeterminate fecundity, protracted spawning season (January to September), high abundance of recruits, low instantaneous natural mortality (M = 0.114 year (-1)), high life expectancy at birth (e(0) approximate to 4.7 yrs.) and maturity (e(alpha) approximate to 2.8 yrs.), and high annual survival of adults and high survival to maturity (l proportional to(mat) = 75.0%). All these life-history traits facilitate the population success of A. saxatilis, showing a high reproductive effort and a rapid population turnover, making this species an efficient colonizer.