Dottyback

The Dottyback is an excellent saltwater aquarium fish for beginners. These brilliantly colored fish can thrive in a relatively small aquarium.

Initially it is important to limit the number of dottybacks in your tank as these fish can be scrappers. Once a dottyback has chosen his territory, he may be less than friendly to newcomers. Introducing several dottybacks to the same tank at the same time may alleviate some of this aggression.

In the wild, these small Indo-Pacific fish dwell in the many caves and crevices of coral reefs, so a reef tank is a must. Feeding dottybacks is easy. They are carnivores and favor meat-based foods, including brine, plankton, small crustaceans and zooplankton. They will also eat bristle worms.

There are many different types of dottyback fish. The orchid dottyback is one of the most prized reef fish because of its vivid violet color. Thanks to the success of captive breeding of dottybacks, the orchid dottyback is far less expensive than it once was.

The blue-striped dotty back is a small fish, around 2 inches, and is dark blue or black with blue stripes along its head and fins. It is a popular addition to saltwater aquariums, because it can be bred in captivity. It is less aggressive than other dottybacks, but may badger smaller fish. If you plan to keep more than one in an aquarium, you should add them at the same time.

Other dottybacks include:

• Magenta dottyback
• Splendid dottyback
• Neon dottyback
• Pale dottyback
• Fleckfin dottyback
• Flame dottyback
• Striped dottyback