Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Dischistodus

Dischistodus perspicillatus

(Cuvier, 1830)

White Damselfish

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Andaman Sea to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, north to southern China, and south to Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef.

Size: 8 inches (20 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits sea grass beds and silty bottom areas in coastal reefs at depths between 3 to 30 feet (1 – 10 m) where it feeds mainly on filamentous algae and somewhat on benthic invertebrates.

General Husbandry: Large and extremely aggressive, and rarely seen in the trade. Has a whitish body with the juveniles having two wide black vertical bands, which mostly fade as it grows into adulthood.

Caution – unless your aquarium is large and designed for extremely aggressive species, this species is unsuitable for most home aquariums.

Taxonomy:

    Order: Perciformes

    Suborder: Labroidei

    Family: Pomacentridae

    Subfamily: Pomacentrinae

    Genus: Dischistodus

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

Think twice before putting these in your aquarium!

May occasionally show up in the trade as an ‘Assorted Damselfish.’

Best left in the wild.

Experience Level: Professional

Temperament: Very aggressive

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Very aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons

Temperature Range: 74 - 84°F (23 – 28°C)

 Dischistodus perspicillatus (White Damselfish)
Photo © David Cook
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