All fish / Pomacentridae

Hawaiian Dascyllus

Dascyllus albisella

Also known as hawaiian domino damsel, hawaiian domino, whitespotted damselfish, hawaiian three-spot damsel, domino damselfish, alo'ilo'i, hawaiian dascyllus damsel, ハワイアンドミノ, 夏威夷三点白

A deep-bodied damselfish that is black or grey with a large white spot on each flank, with the white patch fading and the body turning paler and greyer as it ages. Juveniles live among branching corals or anemones. It is kept because it is very hardy, cheap and full of character, so it often goes into a beginner's reef or fish-only tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or one pair; groups only in very large tanks

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll, central Pacific

Breeding

Males clear a patch of hard substrate and guard the eggs that females lay there, and the eggs hatch after a few days. Spawning happens fairly readily in aquariums, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is difficult and needs rotifers and other live plankton.

Good to know

Adults become very territorial and will bully or kill smaller and more peaceful fish, so add it last and keep it with robust tankmates. It looks like the Indo-Pacific domino damsel (Dascyllus trimaculatus), which is also very aggressive.