All fish / Pseudochromidae

Blue-striped Dottyback

Pseudochromis cyanotaenia

Also known as blue stripe dottyback, bluelined dottyback, surge dottyback, yellow dottyback, blue-barred dottyback, bluestriped dottyback, ベニヒレメギス, 蓝带拟雀鲷

A small, slim dottyback found on shallow surge-swept reef flats. Males are yellow-orange with blue lines on the head and fins, while females tend to be duller and browner. Aquarists keep it for its bright colours, its toughness and the way it fits a small reef tank.

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

110 litres

Keep as

Single specimen, or a mated pair in a larger tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, quality marine pellets and flakes

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia and the Philippines to northern Australia, Melanesia and Micronesia

Breeding

Pairs spawn in caves, and the male guards a ball of eggs until they hatch after a few days. Spawning in captivity is fairly common, but raising the tiny larvae takes rotifers and copepods and is hard work.

Good to know

Like other dottybacks it is territorial, and it may bully small or timid fish and other dottybacks, so add it last and give it plenty of rockwork. It is usually reef safe, though it may eat very small shrimps.