Chrysiptera biocellata

(Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

Twinspot Damselfish

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Samoa, Marshall and Gilbert Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south Australia.

Size: 5 inches (12 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits rubble areas and rocky outcrops in protected inner reef flats and shallow lagoons at depths between 3 to about 15 feet (1 – 5 m) and mainly feeds on filamentous algae, and somewhat on small benthic crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Even though somewhat attractive, very rarely seen the trade because as with some in this genus, it would not be a good peaceful community fish in most home aquariums. The juvenile has a yellowish tan body with a bright blue horizontal streak from above the eye rearwards to a small black patch surrounded with bright blue on the rear upper body. Adults lose the bright blue markings, with the blue streak fading completely, and the rear spot turning totally black, with a second black spot developing a little foreward of the rear spot, hence the common name. The adult also develops a white vertical band on the mid body.

Best housed with dottybacks, large angelfishes and surgeonfishes, and triggerfishes.

As to diet, a meaty diet, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina should be offered several times daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Pomacentridae

Subfamily: Pomacentrinae

Genus: Chrysiptera

FYI: Unsuitable for most home aquariums.

Shown here basically for identification purposes.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Feisty/belligerent

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5