All fish / Pomacentridae

Lemon Damselfish

Pomacentrus moluccensis

Also known as lemon damsel, molucca damselfish, yellow damselfish, yellow damsel, lemon damsel fish, moluccan damsel, ネッタイスズメダイ, betok kuning, 摩鹿加雀鲷, 柠檬雀

A small, bright lemon-yellow damselfish, sometimes with faint blue marks on the head and fins. It is hardy, cheap and colourful, so it is often bought for new reef and fish-only tanks, and it is safe with corals.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly or one per tank unless the tank is large

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia to Fiji, northern Australia and southern Japan

Breeding

Pairs lay adhesive eggs on a cleaned hard surface and the male guards them until they hatch after a few days. Spawning can happen in aquariums, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is difficult and rarely achieved at home.

Good to know

Like most damsels it becomes territorial as it ages and may bully smaller or more peaceful tankmates, so add it last. It is easily confused with other yellow damsels such as Pomacentrus sulfureus and the Azure damsel.