Princess Damselfish

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Semi-aggressive   • Maximum Size: 3"
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-80° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
• Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Fiji, Western Pacific
• Family: Pomacentridae   • Species: Damselfish   • Aquarium Type: Reef Compatible

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Princess Damselfish (Pomacentrus vaiuli) or as they are also commonly referred to as Ocellate Damselfish are available within the aquarium hobby from time to time. They exported from Fiji, where they can be found living in multiple coral reef locations throughout the region. Princess Damselfish have a very interesting color pattern, with colors that vary slightly between individuals with some exhibiting more blue coloration on the body while others are more of a yellow/orange color.

The Princess Damselfish does well in both reef and FOWLR aquariums, and will not disturb corals, invertebrates or most other fish species. They may become territorial towards other Damselfish or similarly sized species with age; however, their overall aggression level is manageable when kept in a reasonably sized aquarium.

The Princess Damselfish (Pomacentrus vaiuli) can be easily kept in a wide range of aquarium environments ranging from nano reefs to large FOWLR systems. The main requirement for the Princess Damselfish is to provide it with plenty of live rock or coral reef in order to provide it both with territory and places to hide when threatened.

They are generally very peaceful as juveniles and become semi-aggressive with age. They will not bother corals or inverts, and will generally only squabble with very similar fish species if they are not given enough territory within the aquarium.

The ideal environment for the Princess Damselfish would include an extensive live rock reef with moderate to strong water currents and tank mates that range from peaceful to semi-aggressive in temperament. Their size and ease of care make the Princess Damselfish an excellent choice for beginning hobbyists, while their brilliant coloration make them popular with all levels of marine aquarium hobbyists.

Princess Damselfish are an omnivorous species that consume a mix of meaty foods, vegetable based foods and marine algae in their diet. They should be fed a varied diet of both meaty and vegetable based foods in order to provide them with all the vitamins and minerals they need to maintain a healthy immune system. Princess Damselfish will readily consume a wide variety of commercial foods including: flake, freeze-dried, frozen, crisp and small pellet based foods.

Some popular commercial foods commonly available on the market that in combination would provide the Princess Damselfish a complete nutritional diet include: spirulina brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, cyclop-eeze, Forumla I & II, Prime Reef and other similar preparations. It is best to feed them multiple times throughout the day an amount of food that they will consume within a few minutes.