Speckled Damselfish

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the Western Indo-Pacific, from the southern coast of China to northern Australia and the Fiji Islands. Inhabits shallow reefs down to 12 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Pomacentridae. Features a robust, compressed body shape. Reaches a maximum standard length of 9 cm. Compact scale design.

Social Behavior: Solitary and highly territorial species. Defends its chosen rock shelter aggressively against any intruders, regardless of their size.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Dark brown to reddish-brown body with small, iridescent blue spots on the head and scales. Features a black eye-like spot on the rear of the dorsal fin.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a minimum tank size of 100 liters with plenty of rockwork to establish territory boundaries and reduce general aggression.

Diet and Feeding: Omnivorous diet. Accepts high-quality flakes, pellets, frozen mysis, brine shrimp, and marine algae formulations.

Water Quality: Stable reef water quality: temperature 24-28 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, and salinity 1.020-1.025 with moderate filtration and current.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Due to high adult aggression, house with robust tankmates. Avoid placing with shy, docile, or delicate fishes that may get bullied.

Aquarium Breeding: Oviparous. Spawns adhesive eggs on clean rock surfaces. The male guards the nest site and fans the clutch until larvae hatch.

Risks and Diseases: Exceptionally resilient and hardy species with low susceptibility to common marine diseases. Good choice for new aquarists.