All fish / Pseudochromidae

Sankey's Dottyback

Pseudochromis sankeyi

Also known as sankey's dottyback, striped dottyback, sankeyi dottyback, sankey dottyback, sankeys dottyback, サンキーズ・ドティーバック, 条纹拟雀鲷

A slim dottyback with a bold black and white horizontal striped pattern and a yellowish tinge near the tail. It is hardy, reef safe with corals and one of the calmest members of its family, so it suits peaceful reef and fish-only tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

75 litres

Keep as

Singly, or a small group if introduced together 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

Red Sea (southern) and Gulf of Aden

Breeding

Pairs spawn a ball of eggs in a cave and the male guards them until they hatch. It is regularly captive bred, though rearing the tiny larvae needs rotifers and patience.

Good to know

It may eat very small shrimps and can quarrel with other dottybacks or similar-sized cave dwellers, so give plenty of rockwork. Captive-bred fish are widely available and usually settle better than wild ones.