Dischistodus pseudochrysopoecilus

(Allen & Robertson, 1974)

Monarch Damselfish

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef.

Size: 7 inches (18 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow live coral thickets in lagoon reefs at depths between 3 to 15 feet (1 – 5 m) where it feeds mainly on filamentous algae and somewhat on benthic invertebrates.

General Husbandry: Extremely aggressive, and rarely ever seen in the trade. Adults have a blackish brown body with a whitish spot on the upper mid body/dorsal. Juveniles having a brownish body with two vertical white bands and a black spot edged in yellow on the on the upper mid body/dorsal fin..

Caution – unless your aquarium is 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)