All fish / Pomacentridae

Three-band Damselfish

Chrysiptera tricincta

Also known as three band damsel, threeband damsel, three-banded damselfish, tricinct damsel, threeband demoiselle, three stripe damsel, ミスジスズメダイ, 三带金翅雀鲷

A small damselfish with a pale white to bluish body crossed by three bold dark bands, looking rather like a humbug damsel but with a clearer white tail. It is hardy, reef safe with corals and inverts, and suits beginners who want a tough, active fish for a smaller reef tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair; one per tank unless it is large

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, New Caledonia

Breeding

Pairs lay sticky eggs on a cleaned rock surface and the male guards them until they hatch in a few days. Spawning happens in home tanks now and then, but raising the tiny pelagic larvae on rotifers is hard.

Good to know

Like most damsels it grows territorial with age and may harass smaller or newer tankmates, so add it last. Easily confused with Dascyllus aruanus, which grows larger and is more aggressive.