Domino damselfish

Care at a glance

The domino damselfish is deep black with three white spots, one on each flank and one on the forehead, from which it takes its name. In the wild, juveniles live among the tentacles of large anemones, just like clownfish.

Those cute juveniles, however, turn into robust, decidedly aggressive adults that claim the whole tank and chase off far larger fish. So add it to the tank last, or choose a calmer damsel; removing it later almost always means taking the entire aquascape out of the water.

Good to know

• Territorial

Best not combined with

• Yellowtail damselfishChrysiptera parasema
• Blue devil damselfishChrysiptera cyanea

Related species

• Pearly jawfishOpistognathus aurifrons
• Yellow assessor bassletAssessor flavissimus
• Bartlett’s anthiasPseudanthias bartlettorum
• Blue assessor bassletAssessor macneilli
• Blackcap bassletGramma melacara
• Niger triggerfishOdonus niger