Blacktail Damselfish

About

The blacktail damselfish (Dascyllus melanurus) is a boldly patterned reef species from the Indo-West Pacific, instantly recognizable by its crisp black and white vertical banding and the dark tail that gives it its name. It belongs to the same genus as the familiar three-stripe and four-stripe damsels, and shares much of their personality. Which is to say, it has plenty of it. Like most damsels, this fish has a reputation for feistiness that can catch newer keepers off guard. It is territorial by nature and will defend a chosen patch of reef or coral head with surprising aggression for such a small fish, often targeting tankmates considerably larger than itself. In the wild, blacktail damselfish are typically found around branching corals, retreating into the structure when threatened and using it as a home base. That same behavior carries over into the aquarium, where providing plenty of rockwork and coral structure helps keep the peace. This species is generally hardy and tolerates the normal fluctuations of a well-maintained reef or fish-only system, but the aggression factor places it firmly in the intermediate category. Best kept by someone who already understands how to plan a community around a pushy fish.