Four Stripe Damselfish

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Native to the Western Pacific, ranging from Indonesia and the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef and Vanuatu. Lives in sheltered lagoons and coastal reefs down to 10 meters, associated with branching corals.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the genus Dascyllus. Features a highly compressed, deep body. Reaches a maximum size of 8 cm (3.1 inches).

Social Behavior: Highly aggressive and territorial. Adults defend their home corals vigorously against other fish, particularly similarly-shaped tankmates.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: White body with four distinct vertical black bands: one through the eye, one behind the gills, one near the rear body, and a fourth black band on the tail (giving it a black tail). No visible sexual dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Needs at least 120 liters of tank volume with plenty of live rock and branching structures to construct visual barriers and territories.

Diet and Feeding: Omnivorous. Readily consumes frozen mysis, brine shrimp, flake foods, pellets, and spirulina-enriched formulas.

Water Quality: Highly tolerant of varying parameters. Standard ranges: temperature 24-27°C (75-81°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.020-1.025, GH 15-25, and KH 8-12.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Reef-safe with corals. Highly incompatible with peaceful or small community fish. Keep with robust, semi-aggressive tankmates and introduce last.

Aquarium Reproduction: Possible. Females lay adhesive eggs on rockwork, which the male guards and aerates aggressively. Larvae require tiny live foods.

Risks and Diseases: Exceptionally disease-resistant. The primary risk is the high level of stress or physical damage it can inflict on passive tankmates.