Springer’s damselfish

Care at a glance

Springer's damselfish is a small, deep blue damsel with black fin edges that has ranked among the calmest damsels for a reef tank for years. It stays under six centimetres, is hardy and eats from day one, which makes it a good first fish for a new marine tank.

Calm for a damsel does not mean peaceful: it claims a spot among the rocks and can bully smaller fish added after it. Keep it alone or in a group of three or more in a roomier tank, and add it last or together with the other small fish. It leaves corals and invertebrates entirely alone.

Good to know

• Territorial

Related species

• Azure damselfishChrysiptera hemicyanea
• Cherub angelfish (argi)Centropyge argi
• Four-stripe damselfishDascyllus melanurus
• Miniatus grouper (coral hind)Cephalopholis miniata
• Banded pipefishDunckerocampus dactyliophorus
• Green clown gobyGobiodon histrio