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Fish Guide |  |
Family: Pseudochromidae (Dottybacks)
Natural Range: Southern Great Barrier Reef
Depth: 1 to 59 ft. Size: 4 in. Jumps: Yes Space: 30+ gal.
Reef Safe: Yes Care Level: Easy Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Crustaceans, bristleworms, small molluscs, small fishes
Natural History: The Australian dottyback is found on reef flats and tidepools. It is very secretive and hides among coral and rock, darting from one crevice to another in search of food. It is reported to be solitary.
Husbandry: This dottyback is very territorial, and will attack other docile fish as well as other dottybacks. Only one Australian dottyback should be kept per aquarium. Not even male-female pairs are successful often enough to risk it. There are 5 different color variants of this species and it does not lose its coloration in the aquarium. It has a voracious appetite and is reported to eat almost anything. It will dig beneath corals and move small rocks from place to place. The Australian Multicolor Pseudochromis does eat bristleworms and small mantis shrimps, two reef pests.
AKA: Australian Dottyback, Multicolored Dottyback