All fish / Pomacentridae

Blue Devil Damselfish

Chrysiptera cyanea

Also known as blue devil damsel, sapphire devil, blue damselfish, orange tail blue damsel, blue devil, sapphire damsel, yellowtail blue damsel, ปลาสลิดหินสีน้ำเงิน, ルリスズメダイ, betok biru, giru biru, 圆尾金翅雀鲷

A small, brilliant electric blue damselfish; males often have an orange or yellow tail and snout, while females stay blue with a dark spot at the rear of the dorsal fin. It is cheap, hardy and colourful, so it is a popular first fish for new reef and fish-only tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly, or one male with several females in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: marine flakes and pellets, mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood and some algae-based food

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, northern Australia, Melanesia and Micronesia

Breeding

Males guard a nest site on rock or rubble where females lay adhesive eggs, which the male tends until they hatch in a few days. Spawning happens readily in aquariums, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae needs rotifers and fine live foods and is challenging.

Good to know

Becomes very territorial with age and will harass newer or similar-sized fish, so add it last and avoid keeping several in a small tank. The trade name "yes" is not a recognised common name; check that the seller means this blue damsel.