All fish / Pomacentridae

Marginate Dascyllus

Dascyllus marginatus

Also known as marginate damselfish, red sea dascyllus, marginate damsel, red sea damsel, marginatus damsel, ミスジリュウキュウスズメダイ, 红海三点白, 红海宅泥鱼

A small, deep-bodied damselfish with a pale grey to white body, a brownish head and a black edge running along the dorsal, anal and tail fins. It is hardy, cheap and lively, and in the wild it lives among branching corals such as Acropora and Stylophora, which makes it an attractive choice for a reef display.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Single fish or a group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Red Sea and Gulf of Oman

Breeding

Males clean a patch of hard surface and guard the sticky eggs until they hatch after a few days. Spawning happens quite often in captivity, but raising the tiny pelagic larvae is difficult and needs rotifers and other live foods.

Good to know

It turns territorial and aggressive as it matures, so keep it away from small, timid fish and give it plenty of rockwork. It looks like the Indian Ocean D. carneus, which has a white tail and lacks the dark fin edges.