Whitetail dascyllus
Dascyllus aruanus, known commonly as the Whitetail dascyllus or Humbug damselfish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Pomacentridae. Whitetail dascyllus is up to 10 centimetres in length but its common size is 6 centimetres and is white with three black vertical bars. Associated with coral reefs, most usually in groups above Acropora coral heads. Males may be aggressive against other fish while they tend eggs.
Whitetail dascyllus is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, Red Sea included. However, the species has recently been split with Dascyllus aruanus found in the Pacific and Forsskàl’s 1775 name Dascyllus abudafur being resurrected for the Red Sea and Indian Ocean populations. They are called aquarium ‘Starter fish’ as they are quite tolerant of variable conditions and aid in conditioning the tank environment for less hardy fish. These fish have been reared in captivity. They can be territorial with other fish. The adult is quite aggressive.
As a group that will stay at the same coral reef for their entire life, Dascyllus aruanus is very aggressive when it comes to their territory. All resources are heavily guarded and any unfamiliar species is seen as a threat. Living in a coral reef in shallow waters can make protection a full time job for some of these fish, making them extremely observant and wary. Some individuals are more aggressive than others, making an attack first response rather than observing for warning signs. As a species residing in shallow waters, there are multiple species of fish that come across the damselfish habitat. The humbug recognizes individuals of its own species by the dominant color pattern of the black stripes rather than movement.
Larger fish (males and females) lead the foraging groups and get first priority of food, which usually corresponds to larger size prey. Smaller fish stay in the back of the school and eat smaller and fewer prey than the others.
(extract from Wikipedia)
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