All fish / Pomacentridae

Princess Damselfish

Pomacentrus vaiuli

Also known as princess damsel, ocellate damselfish, vaiuli damsel, princess damsel fish, purple damsel, ソラスズメダイ属, プリンセスダムゼル, betok laut, 王子雀鲷

A small, hardy damselfish with a purplish grey body, a yellow-orange wash over the upper back and fine blue lines and spots on the head. It has a dark, pale-ringed eyespot at the back of the dorsal fin. Reefkeepers like it because it is colourful, tough and leaves corals alone.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a pair in a larger tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western and central Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines to Samoa, Micronesia and the Great Barrier Reef

Breeding

Pairs lay sticky eggs on a cleaned patch of rock, and the male guards them until they hatch after a few days. Spawning happens in aquariums from time to time, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is difficult and seldom done.

Good to know

It becomes territorial as it ages and can bully smaller or more timid fish, so add it after more peaceful tankmates. It is easily confused with other purple and yellow Pomacentrus damsels.