Dascyllus aruanus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Humbug Dascyllus, Whitetail Dascyllus

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa and the Red Sea east to Line, Marquesas, and Tuamotu Islands, north to Southern Japan, south to Lord Howe and Rapa Islands.

Size: 3 inches (8 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow lagoons and subtidal reef flats at depths between 3 to about 65 feet (1 – 20 m) and mainly feeds on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), fish eggs and algae.

General Husbandry: Fairly common in the trade, yet not a peaceful community fish. Both juveniles and adults have a white body with three black vertical bands, with the first through the eyes, next mid body, and the third on the aft body. Has a white caudal peduncle and tail, and black dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins.

Best housed with dottybacks, large angelfishes and surgeonfishes, and triggerfishes.

As to diet, a meaty diet, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina should be offered several times daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Pomacentridae

Subfamily: Chrominae

Genus: Dascyllus

FYI: Juveniles can be maintained in small groups, yet as they age, will quarrel with each other, and tankmates even if they are also quite feisty.

In the wild, often defends its coral colony from the Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star.

Cute when small, but devils when they mature. Think twice before putting these in your aquarium!

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Feisty/belligerent

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons

Temperature Range: 74 - 84°F (23 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5