All fish / Pseudochromidae

Firetail Dottyback

Labracinus cyclophthalmus

Also known as firetail devil, red dottyback, fire tail dottyback, firetail devil dottyback, spotfin dottyback, giant dottyback, red-lined dottyback, メギス, 圆眼戴氏鱼, 火尾草莓

A large, sturdy dottyback that is usually red to brownish with fine dark or blue markings along the body and a fiery tail. It is kept for its strong colour, hardiness and bold personality, and it suits robust, rock-filled reef or fish-only systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

18 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; one per tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, krill, chopped seafood, quality marine pellets and frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean: Indonesia, Philippines, northern Australia, southern Japan

Breeding

The female lays a ball of eggs in a cave and the male guards it until hatching. Pairs have spawned in captivity, but forming a pair is risky because of aggression, and rearing the tiny larvae needs live rotifers and copepods.

Good to know

Highly territorial and will attack or eat small fish, shrimps and other dottybacks, so keep it only with larger, robust tankmates. It grows far bigger than most dottybacks and is easily confused with other red Pseudochromids when small.