All fish / Pomacentridae

Canary Damselfish

Chrysiptera galba

Also known as canary damsel, yellow damselfish, galba damsel, golden damsel, canary demoiselle, 金黄刻齿雀鲷

This is a small damselfish that is bright canary yellow all over, sometimes with a faint blue edge to the fins. It is collected mainly from remote Polynesian reefs, so it turns up less often than common damsels. Keepers like it for its strong colour, its toughness and how readily it takes food.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly or one per tank unless the tank is large

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, marine flakes and pellets, algae-based foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Southwest Pacific: Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Pitcairn and nearby islands

Breeding

Pairs lay sticky eggs on a cleaned hard surface, and the male guards them until they hatch. The larvae are tiny and live in the plankton, so rearing them in a home aquarium is rarely managed.

Good to know

Like most damsels it gets territorial as it grows, so add it last and keep it away from small, timid fish. It is reef safe with corals but may pick on small invertebrates and fish of similar shape.