Highly Underrated Fish - Beau Gregory
Stegastes leucostictus – Beau Gregory
Throughout the English speaking world, this fish is known as either Beaugregory or Beau Gregory with one notable exception. In Barbados it is called a Yellow Jacket. Interestingly, and perhaps related, in Mexico it is known as Jaqueta bonita or “Pretty Jacket.” In Venezuala they call it Leopoldito amarillo, which translates weirdly into something like “Little Yellow Leopold,” making me wonder if it wasn't supposed to be Leopardito, which would make it the “Little Yellow Leopard.” With the spots, size and the attitude, this makes sense to me, but maybe Leopold had a napoleon complex and Leoploldito makes sense too. We digress.
Like most damsels, the BG has a reputation for aggression, and as an adult, it is well deserved. In the wild they will defend a territory from basically any and all intruders. There is an uncountable number of reports from divers and snorklers who've gotten nipped by Beaugregory Damsels. Their territory will include a garden that they maintain where they grow the algae and small invertebrates that they live on. The only times these territories get breached is seemingly for the breeding season, where pairs are formed and males will clean a shell or rock for females to lay eggs on. Before they form the territories, juveniles will form loose aggregations.
Like most Stegastes genus fish, The BG is a very shallow water fish. The Gregory tends to live in “back reef” environments like reef-adjacent rubble fields and seagrass fringes. They have a range that extends through most of the tropical Caribbean from Bermuda to Brazil. However, there are many reports of them as far north as the Carolinas.
The Beau Gregory is an amazingly good aquarium fish. They are stunning to look at, even their adult colors are pretty. They are the picture of hardiness, eat algae, are very active and stay small. This makes them nearly completely ideal from a husbandry standpoint. They are a must for any Caribbean themed tank that doesn't hold very small fish. And here, in a nutshell, is the rub. They are pugnacious. When young, you can keep them in fairly dense groups (always at least 5 if you are going to attempt this). As they age, they will get more territorial; the larger fish that are common in the same natural environments should have no problem with the BGs. Smaller fish like gobies are likely to get harassed to death.
As with any fish, plan your display according to the characteristics of the animals you are trying to add and you will prevent many headaches and stress down the road. None of this means to avoid the Gregory, on the contrary, they are one of the most beautiful, hardy, sustainable, wild caught fish available, just be sensible about what you stock it with and you'll enjoy their garden keeping and high activity level for years to come.
https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Stegastes-leucostictus.html
https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/3879