Purple Stripe Dottyback

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: 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: Carnivore   • Origin: Indo-Pacific
• Family: Pseudochromidae   • Species: Pseudochromis   • Aquarium Type: Reef Compatible

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The Purple Stripe Dottyback can be found in its native environment within the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific. They are a beautiful and extremely hardy species that will add bright yellow and a splash of purple to any aquarium. The Purple Stripe Dottyback is an excellent choice for beginners and are also in demand for "nano" systems (a great choice for yellow in place of a yellow tang in smaller aquariums) as well as being a popular choice as an accent fish in larger reef setups. The Purple Stripe Dottyback gets its name from having a bright yellow base color with a vivid purple stripe on its dorsal side from its head, all the way to its caudal fin. They are readily available within the hobby and can be found through local and online vendors alike.

Purple Stripe Dottybacks require an aquarium of at least 30 gallons and should be provided with plenty of live rock and hiding places. They have a small impact upon their environment and do not have any special filtration needs other than the standard, quality biological and mechanical filtration. They usually cruise around the middle to bottom of the aquarium and generally mix well with other reef inhabitants; but they are territorial of their favorite hiding places and can become aggressive towards their own kind, similar-shaped fish, and mild-mannered or slow-moving species. They have also been known to eat very small, commensal or ornamental shrimp such as Anemone shrimp. Tank mates should be chosen carefully and preferably added before the Purple Stripe Dottyback if compatibility is questionable.

The Purple Stripe Dottyback is a carnivore and should be fed a variety of meaty foods such as live, frozen, freeze-dried, and vitamin enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped mysis shrimp, finely chopped krill and other sea foods; as well as carnivore/omnivore pellets and flake foods. To preserve the stunning coloration of a Purple Stripe Dottyback, variety and vitamins in their diet is very important. Feed 1 to 2 times per day.

Through protogynous hermaphroditism, female Purple Stripe Dottybacks can shift sex and become male, but cannot shift back to female. Although the species can be aggressive to its own kind; to form pairs, hobbyists will start off with plenty of room and two fish of different size, or in a much larger aquarium with more than two fish, a male may lure a female to his cave or rock crevice, where she will lay a cluster of sticky eggs. The male will fan and guard the eggs to keep them aerated and safe. 3 to7 days later the eggs will hatch and the young will be in a larval stage for the next 30 days. Enriched live prey (brine shrimp and rotifers) are essential for larval development.