All fish / Pomacentridae

Fiji Blue Devil Damselfish

Chrysiptera taupou

Also known as fiji blue devil, fiji devil damsel, south seas devil damsel, south seas devil, taupou damsel, fiji damselfish, blue devil damsel, フィジーブルーデビル, 斐济雀鲷, 斐济蓝魔鬼

A small, bright electric-blue damselfish with a yellow belly and yellow lower and tail fins, which helps tell it apart from similar blue devils. It is kept because it is hardy, colourful and cheap, and it copes well with beginners' mistakes.

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

Keep singly, or as one pair in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: frozen mysis and brine shrimp, marine flakes and pellets, plus some algae-based food

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Southwest Pacific: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and nearby islands

Breeding

Pairs lay sticky eggs on rock or other hard surfaces, and the male guards them until they hatch. Spawning happens in aquariums, but the tiny pelagic larvae need rotifers and careful rearing, so raising the young is hard.

Good to know

It gets very territorial as it grows and may bully smaller or more peaceful tankmates, so add it last and give it plenty of rockwork. Do not mix it with other blue damsels, and do not confuse it with Chrysiptera cyanea, which lacks the yellow belly.