Steene's Dottyback

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to Indonesia, particularly around Bali, Flores, and the Sunda Islands. Found on rocky and coral slopes down to 50 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Pseudochromidae. Named after the prominent marine photographer and author Roger Steene.

Social Behavior: Highly predatory and extremely aggressive. Solitary species that dominates its territory, attacking smaller fish and decapsulating shrimp.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Features a greyish-brown head that transitions into a yellowish body. Notable for its bright orange eye rings and yellow face markings.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a dedicated aquarium of at least 150 liters with robust rock structures to establish boundaries.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Consumes small fish, shrimp, and crabs. Accepts frozen krill, mysis, brine shrimp, and high-quality carnivore pellets.

Water Quality: Standard marine parameters: temperature 22-27 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025, and stable water quality with moderate current.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Extremely aggressive. Not suitable for standard community tanks. Keep alone or with much larger, robust species.

Aquarium Breeding: Demersal spawner. Male guards the eggs in a cave. Spawning is highly unlikely in home aquariums due to extreme intraspecific aggression.

Risks and Diseases: High risk of fish mortality in the tank. Jump risk is elevated; ensure the aquarium is securely covered.