Yellow Dottyback

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Aggressive   • Maximum Size: 4"
• 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: Western Pacific, Indian Ocean
• Family: Pseudochromidae   • Species: Pseudochromis   • Aquarium Type: Reef Compatible

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The Yellow Dottyback (Pseudochromis fuscus) or as it is also commonly known as the Dusky Dottyback, is a popular species of psuedochromis that is commonly found within the aquarium hobby. Their coloration varies from a bright yellow to light brown with yellow and purple highlights.

Unlike many fish species whose colors dull with age, the coloration differences in the Yellow Dottyback are due mostly to diet. Wild caught specimens will often vary in color depending on the food source they were feeding on in the area where they were collected. Specimens fed a high quality diet with balanced vitamins will generally exhibit the more sought after bright yellow coloration, while specimens who are fed a lower quality diet exhibit a more faded yellow or brown coloration.

Yellow Dottyback psuedochromis are also known for being the largest species of psuedochromis commonly available within the hobby, as they can reach 4 inches in length. Their larger size coupled with the typical aggressive and territorial nature of psuedochromis makes them quite aggressive for their size.

Due to their aggressive nature, the Yellow Dottyback should be the only psuedochromis or similarly shaped species in smaller aquariums in order to avoid territorial battles. Large aquariums with plenty of live rock can support multiple psuedochromis specimens or a mixture of psuedochromis and other similarly shaped species. Overall the Yellow Dottyback is a very hardy species that makes a good addition to both reef and FOWLR aquariums.

The Yellow Dottyback is at home in aquariums ranging from smaller nano aquariums all the way up to large reef aquariums. Like most other psuedochromis species they are very territorial towards other psuedochromis and similarly sized and shaped fish species. However, they get along very well with a wide variety of community fish species and are not easily bullied by semi-aggressive species like larger wrasse, parrotfish, hawkfish, angelfish, etc.

Yellow Dottybacks will not bother corals, invertebrates or sessile invertebrates which makes them well suited for larger reef aquariums. The exception to this is that they will readily consume bristleworms and small shrimp species like anemone shrimp. However, they are quite aggressive for their size, so they are not well suited for reef aquariums with delicate fish species.

They do best in aquariums with plenty of live rock caves and crevices and at least around 30 gallons or so of water volume. They have an aggressive personality for their size, which means that they are not well suited for very small or shy tank mates.

Yellow Dottyback psuedochromis need a balanced diet containing a variety of marine based meaty foods. Foods high in vitamins like carotene and vitamin A are required for the Yellow Dottyback to exhibit a bright yellow coloration. Foods like krill and chopped raw table shrimp are good sources for these vitamins as the plant matter and plankton that these species feed on is high in carotene and vitamin A.

A well balanced diet made up of mostly meaty based foods with a small amount of plant matter or algae is best suited to provide all the vitamins and minerals Yellow Dottyback require in order to maintain a healthy immune system. Ideally they should be feed two to three times per day an amount that they will consume within five to ten minutes.

Good food options include: krill, chopped raw table shrimp, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, chopped raw mussel, chopped raw squid, chopped raw clam, marine algae and marine sponge.